June 2 – The Dutch FA have asked FIFA for flexibility over their transfer window which won’t align with the majority of European player markets this summer.
FIFA regulations allow the market to remain open for up to 12 weeks after the season has finished. In the Netherlands, the new transfer window will open on June 9 and some deals have already been announced.
However, both La Liga and the Premier League aren’t expected to finish their leagues in late July. Those late finishes would mean player trading can run until October, by which time the Dutch market would have long closed.
Dutch clubs would thus be faced with a scenario in which they can still sell players to club abroad but no longer reinforce their own squads.
“We are busy with this,” said KNVB board secretary Mark Boetekees. “We are trying to match our market to international developments. Otherwise it will soon be the case that our market is closed, while it is still open in the countries around us. That would mean that players can still leave the Netherlands after 1 September, but that the Dutch clubs can no longer get substitutes. We don’t think this is a desirable scenario.”
To find a solution, the Dutch FA has now appealed to the world federation in Zurich, suggesting that a pause could be a way forward. “We are going to ask if we could cut up the market,” said Boetekees. “For example, by taking a break somewhere. We may be open for 12 weeks, but not 12 weeks straight. Then clubs can simply attract the players from June 9 and let them train. In the summer, the market would close temporarily and open later, so that we are in line with the rest of Europe. Hopefully FIFA will be flexible with this. If not, we will probably have to open later than June 9.”
FIFA previously outlined that national associations can demand a rejig of their transfer window in light of the global health crisis and differing calendars.
In April, the Eredevisie was the first major European league to end the season because of health restrictions by the national government. France, Belgium and Scotland have also cancelled the rest of their domestic seasons.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1714065127labto1714065127ofdlr1714065127owedi1714065127sni@o1714065127fni1714065127