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The Club protection program explained
Have we ever really defined who professional football player is correctly? Many would say it is someone who plays for a football club on an international level. That is true.
But according to FIFA, a professional football player is a football player who has signed a written contract with a football club and is paid more for their footballing activity than the expenses they incur for the same activity. All other football players are considered to be amateurs and are not covered under this programme.
This means all players who could still be on the market as free agents, are considered amateurs. Free agents like Adrien Rabiot and Memphis Depay.
After signing the contracts, these players are then considered employees for their clubs and their job is to play football and perform as per their agreements.
During the season, a time comes when the players are required to represent their countries for international matches. This is the time when the program becomes active
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How is the program activated?
The program is activated the moment the player leaves their football clubs or their homes to go and represent their national teams.
When a player gets involved in an accident international duty or (operative time), first the injury is assessed and a duration is given for how long the player will be out of session. This has been labelled as temporary total disablement (TTD) that prevents a player from participating in their respective club's matches.
The program becomes active after the first 28 days of injury. After this time, the club is compensated for the time the player will spend outside training, training matches, travelling with the club and playing matches.
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When does it end?
The cover lasts 365 days and ceases when either of these occur:
When the clock strikes midnight when the players go home after international duty
48 hours after leaving their national teams to their homes or their footballing clubs after international duty. This does not include time spent when travelling during international tournaments.
when the player dies.
when the player changes occupations.
when the player's contract is terminated.
when the maximum benefit period of 365 days is exhausted.
when the maximum capacity of the coverage per accident per football player is exhausted.
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What warrants the cover activation
When a player is involved in an accident. An accident is when a football player, at an identifiable time and place during the “operative time”, suffers a bodily injury due to a sudden external force acting on their body. An accident can also be a specific, sudden act of exertion at an identifiable time and place from which the football player suffers a bodily injury. In addition to these defined accidents, heart attacks and strokes are also considered accidents
Who is the money paid to?
The payments are made by FIFA directly to the club to which the player has been contracted. The payment does not include the initial 28 days and the day when the protection begins.
Compensation offered and its calculation
The FIFA Club Protection Programme compensates football clubs up to EUR 7,500,000 (KES1.04B) per player per accident, calculated on a daily pro rata basis of up to EUR 20,548 (1/365 of the annual limit) for a maximum of 365 days.
The compensation is solely based on the fixed salary stipulated in the player's contract, inclusive of weekly or monthly instalments and mandatory social security charges. Variable amounts, one-off payments, bonuses (such as performance or signing-on bonuses), appearance fees, and other irregular payments are excluded.
Any changes to the player's salary agreed upon and signed before the accident affect the daily compensation accordingly from the contract's start date. The programme's aggregate limit is EUR 80,000,000 (KES11.1B) annually, ensuring coverage for all eligible claims under the specified conditions, including scenarios where a player may transfer to another club post-accident, with benefits adjusted based on the terms of the original contract unless the new salary is lower.
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