Chelsea fans have been waiting with bated breath for Hakim Ziyech’s upcoming summer transfer from Ajax, agreed to in February, but following a statement made by FIFA, they will have to wait a little longer.
Hakim Ziyech’s Chelsea Arrival Delayed After FIFA Transfer And Contract Decision
Contracts Extended
Contracts and loans ending June 30th have become a primary concern for players, clubs, and leagues. If leagues cannot resume and finish before the end of June, what will happen? Will players remain under contract as the season hasn’t finished? Or will they be free to move on? On the flip-side, will clubs lose one, two, or possibly more players with the season possibly still on hold?
Those were the questions posed. And FIFA has an almost-definitive answer. At the very least, they have provided some guidance on the situation. In a statement released Tuesday, the governing body said: “It is now obvious that the current season will not end when people thought it would.”
They continued: “Therefore, it is proposed that contracts be extended until such time that the season does actually end. This should be in line with the original intention of the parties when the contract was signed and should also preserve sporting integrity and stability. A similar principle applies to contracts due to begin when the new season starts, meaning the entry into force of such contracts is delayed until the next season actually does start.”
This clears up doubts, at least partially, of what will happen with players. But more importantly, it sets the precedent for the end date of contracts. The date, June 30th for most, isn’t an exact deadline, but merely an arbitrarily selected date that represents the end of the season.
Therefore, June 30th is just a place-holder. And if seasons can’t finish in time, those place-holders will be picked up and moved. And the same will happen for pre-contracts, that although they say July 1st, it instead represents the beginning of the season. For the current situation, that day is still yet to be determined.
Transfer Window Moved
The dates of the transfer window have also come in to question recently as well. Now with contracts settled, at least enough to put other processes in motion, FIFA also issued a statement on how changes to the transfer window.
“With regard to transfer windows, it is necessary to adjust the normal regulatory position to the new factual circumstances. Accordingly, FIFA will be flexible and will allow the relevant transfer windows to be moved so they fall between the end of the old season and the start of the new season.”
Just as with contracts, FIFA has now set the precedent that the summer transfer window can be anytime, as long as it happens between two seasons. How long will that transfer window stay open? That much is unknown at this point.
Ziyech Waiting
Unfortunately for Chelsea, this has a major impact on the club and Ziyech. The Morocco international will have to wait for his Chelsea debut longer than expected. Originally planning to arrive in West London in June, Ziyech is now at the mercy of the coronavirus and the Eredivisie season’s end. Hopefully, that will come sooner rather than later.
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