FIFA is enabling international players and coaches to temporarily leave Russian and Ukrainian Premier League clubs and sign for other teams, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Last week, the Polish FA requested that FIFA reopen the transfer windows for players from Ukraine and Russia so that they might flee the violence.
FIFPro, the world’s largest players’ organization, has addressed FIFA, requesting that international players in Russia be allowed to depart permanently.
FIFA and the European Club Association (ECA) had a meeting on Friday to review the situation.
FIFA and UEFA announced on Monday that international players and coaches’ contracts with Ukrainian clubs have been temporarily suspended until the end of June.
If they do not reach an agreement with their clubs, foreign players and coaches with Russian teams will be able to suspend their contracts until the end of June.
FIFA says that “players and coaches will be considered ‘out of contract’ until 30 June 2022 and will therefore be at liberty to sign a contract with another club without facing consequences of any kind”.
It adds that players must register with any new clubs on or before April 7, and are allowed to do so even if the registration window for teams have otherwise closed. Clubs are entitled to register a maximum of two new players using this exception.