The League Management Company (LMC) has clarified that the rule stipulating minimum of three years contract for players was introduced to stem some problems that were identified after a careful study of the situation that prevailed in the past.
Salihu Abubakar, the Chief Operating Officer of the LMC, in a response to issues raised by the Association of Professional Footballers of Nigeria (APFON), declared that the minimum of one year contract advocated by the umbrella body of players affected clubs and players negatively.
“The LMC met a situation in the league where a large number of player contracts lasted for a period of one year only. This adversely affected the stability and commercial viability of the clubs as well as the welfare of the players,” Abubakar said in a response to the APFON Executives.
The LMC refuted the claims by APFON that the regulation on contract duration enslaves players noting: “Contrary to your claim that the rule enhances enslavement and abuse of players’ rights, the rule actually enhances stability in the employment of players. Note that the rule does not prevent players from being transferred to another club after one season upon mutual agreement between both clubs and agreement of personal terms between the player and the transfering club.”
Abubakar outlined some of the problems that plagued the previous contract regime to include mass exodus of players at the end of every season, adverse effects on clubs and players arising from payment of sign on fees, inability of clubs to focus on nurturing and developing players. Also listed are seasonal large scale alterations to team line-ups which discouraged fans’ followership, unilateral and indiscriminate termination of players’ contracts and payment of seasonal wages as against annual wages.
The LMC further said it was to resolve these problems for the mutual benefit of the clubs and players that the three-year minimum contract rule was enacted and pointed out that the FIFA regulation cited by APFON permitted national associations to vary the minimum and maximum periods of contract duration where it is consistent with national laws.
