According to the Mehr correspondent, after the start of the Russian military attack on Ukraine, Ukrainian sports matches, including the country’s football league, were suspended. With so many foreign players in the Ukrainian league, the issue of their fate has since become a concern for FIFA and the European Football Association.
Shahab Zahedi, the striker of the Iranian national team, was one of the players who was in the team of Zorya Luhansk and went to Hungary when the war started. During this period, the issue of Zahedi’s presence in the Iranian league and even the Persepolis team was discussed, but due to the uncertainty of the contract status of the players in the Ukrainian league, everything was in doubt.
Today, Alexander Zotov, director general of the Russian Football Players’ Union, announced new news in this regard, claiming that FIFA intends to open a special transfer window for foreign players working in Russia and Ukraine.
“According to my information, FIFA will allow foreigners playing in the Russian-Ukrainian league matches to suspend their employment contracts until June 2022 and will open a special transfer window,” Zotov said.
Speaking to RB Sport, he added: “Foreign clubs can attract two players by June at the latest.” Based on this, in the transfer season, contracts can be suspended and players can be transferred to another team, but in June, the contracts will be implemented more and this player will be considered a former club player again.
The director general of the Russian Football Players’ Union in response to the question of what is meant by the suspension of the contract? “Like when a footballer is loaned to another club,” he said. It is not possible to terminate the contract with the club of origin. Their contract is only suspended until June (end of the season).
According to the Mehr correspondent, in this way, players who play in the Ukrainian and Russian leagues can, if they wish, suspend their contracts and go to other teams on loan for a few months. FIFA has not yet officially announced the details of this plan.
Shahab Zahedi has been in the spotlight of the Iranian Persepolis team in recent weeks, and it remains to be seen whether he will return to the club he has played for in Iran for the next three months.