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Restrictions on the international loan of players are set to come into force in July as part of a wide-ranging reform of the transfer system, FIFA said on Thursday.
The global soccer body said it would also establish a new system of so-called “training compensation” for ensuring that clubs receive a fair slice of the cake when players they develop leave at a young age and are involved in expensive transfers later in their careers.
FIFA said that a meeting of its stakeholders committee — featuring representatives of players, clubs, leagues and national associations — endorsed a move to limit international loans of players aged 22 and over.
It said that loans would be limited to eight out and eight in per season per club for the 2020-21 campaign, going down to six by the 2022/23 season. The new rules were designed to ensure that loans “have a valid sporting purpose for youth development.”
FIFA said that it expected member associations to implement similar rules on domestic loans “in line with the principles established at international level” although it did not set a limit. The move is subject to approval by the FIFA Council.
FIFA said a fund, financed by a levy of one percent on all transfer fees, would be created to partly finance training compensation.
Under FIFA rules, the club where a player began their career is supposed to receive a percentage of the fee every time they are subsequently involved in an international transfer.
Many of the world’s top players began their careers at small clubs where even a few thousand dollars could be useful.
However, FIFA has said that the system has until now not worked as it should and many small clubs in Latin America and Africa have missed out on valuable payments.
“This modernised system will encourage and reward the training efforts of clubs and, as payments will be automated via the new FIFA Clearing House, it will ensure that training compensation is actually paid, which is often currently not the case,” said FIFA.