Over the last decade, countries in the Middle East have become a very desirable destination for football and futsal players and coaches due to the high salaries offered by federations and clubs. However, now, after the outbreak of war with Iran, these contracts have in many cases become a problem that ties them to staying in those countries.
Since last week, the evacuation of athletes and their families has been taking place after competitions were suspended due to the constant threat of Iranian attacks on their Gulf neighbors, although some countries are planning to resume them. In the Stars League in Qatar, suspended on March 1, matches will resume this Thursday, March 12. Most clubs have resumed training, which has kept many professionals in place due to fear of breaching their contracts or simply because the teams do not allow them to leave.
This is the case of a player who had to get off the bus that was supposed to take him from Doha to Riyadh this Monday to catch the charter flight chartered by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to return to Spain. His club did not give him permission to leave. "In the morning they are training, and in the afternoon missiles fall," sources from the federation in contact with all Spaniards remaining in the Middle East tell El Mundo.
In fact, legal advice has been offered to all of them on what their contracts stipulate regarding dangerous situations. "Many of them have lawyers, but some have already sent us their contracts to study if there is any clause that addresses what they can do in a situation like the one they are experiencing," says the general secretary of the RFEF, Álvaro de Miguel.
The situation among footballers and coaches in the affected countries, mainly Qatar and Kuwait, has been one of "fear" for their families, in some cases with minors, and "chaotic" due to contradictory information about what will happen with the competitions in the entire region in the last two weeks.
The first to speak out asking for help from FIFA have been the coaching committees of the federations of Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, England, France, Netherlands, and Turkey. They have all signed a joint letter sent to the legal department of the governing body requesting "guidance and regulatory protective measures" regarding the "legal and contractual uncertainty" experienced by coaches.
Several of them, inform FIFA, have expressed concern about temporarily leaving the country where they work for security reasons. In fact, they insist that in many Gulf jurisdictions, work contracts and residence are "linked to the employing club through sponsorship systems, meaning that leaving the territory may require prior authorization from the club or other administrative authorities," they explain in the letter.
Therefore, they remind FIFA that, as their regulatory framework acknowledges "the possibility of contract termination for just cause (article 14 of the RSTP)," as well as for "force majeure circumstances in exceptional situations affecting the normal fulfillment of contractual obligations." That is why they ask for guidance and a stance on the situation in the Middle East.
In particular, they request that if foreign coaches leave the country for "security reasons," this should not be interpreted as "contractual breach or unjustified abandonment of their duties" and that their contractual and professional rights be protected. They also request FIFA's mediation with "national federations, leagues, and clubs in the affected countries" to address each situation "in a balanced and responsible manner."
In the letter, the coaching committees express concern about the "disciplinary or contractual consequences resulting from a departure motivated by security considerations," as they could face accusations of contract breach or dereliction of duties. In this regard, they ask FIFA to clarify if, in situations of armed conflict or serious personal security risks, a coach's temporary departure from the territory could be considered justified according to the principles of just cause or force majeure, "thus helping to prevent potential disputes before the FIFA Football Tribunal or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)."
"We believe that the international football regulatory framework must be able to respond appropriately to these extraordinary circumstances. Given the growing concern expressed by coaches currently working in the region, we would greatly appreciate FIFA's guidance as soon as possible, so that our institutions can provide the appropriate support and legal clarity to our members," concludes the letter signed, on behalf of all committees, by Portuguese president Henrique Calisto.