Cayman clubs can be required to pay transfer fees for players seeking to switch allegiance, football officials have confirmed.
The policy is causing frustration among some players who wish to move clubs. But local coaches say their teams deserve to be compensated when a player they have trained and developed moves on.
The Cayman Islands Football Association says international rules determine that clubs can ask for a fee.
CIFA president Alfredo Whittaker clarified the rules regarding transfer fees between local amateur clubs, after several players expressed frustration about not being able to change teams because of the required compensation.
“It’s important for the public to know that this is not something that CIFA has implemented,” Whittaker told the Compass in a recent interview, when asked about the complaints from the players, who have requested anonymity. “This is something that came from the new platform that FIFA implemented around the world.”
Under the new FIFA regulations, it states that “amateur players belong to a club or academy for which [he/she] is registered”. Should that player want a transfer, “fees shall be paid by the acquiring club”.
Whittaker said while there are some teams that do not require fees to enable their players to move on, some clubs are not as accommodating.
“I know that it’s not too many clubs that are in this position and there are some clubs that agree to freely let the players leave,” he said. “But… if a club had invested in a young player and now he’s an adult… I think that club is entitled to something.”
Academy Sports Club technical director Virgil Seymour said that is an issue with his team as well.
“If you spend 16 years developing a player, sometimes using your own resources,… doing everything for them outside of paying the player – we take them on trips and invest thousands of dollars”, the players should be grateful, “but no, there is no loyalty and gratitude”, Seymour told the Compass.
Under FIFA league rules, “A club may only release an amateur player during a registration window.” Nonetheless, Seymour isn’t thinking of releasing players, especially those he has trained from the youth level.
Instead, he said any player registered with his club for several years who wishes to leave will be held accountable. He added it was inconsiderate for an acquiring club to feel as though they can freely take a player that has been thoroughly invested in.
“The clubs that don’t have youth programmes don’t understand the [loss],” Seymour said.
“We want to hold those kids responsible for all the development we have done for them. It’s a win-win for the players and, sure, the players don’t get paid, but the coaches don’t get paid for most of the things we do either.”
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