Governing Bodies
To make football truly global, we have to make transfers as transparent as possible says Infantino
The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, has reiterated that the transfer of players needs to be as transparent as possible.
He said this during a workshop for the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP), which was held virtually.
The commentary on the RSTP is a crucial document that will support member associations, clubs, players, leagues and football legal experts in ensuring that the RSTP is applied consistently across the global football community.
The first edition, published in 2007 by FIFA, was a tool to supplement the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP), which was first adopted in 2001 following cooperation and negotiations between FIFA and the European Commission.
To mark the introduction of the 2021 version of the document, FIFA held a virtual workshop as well as two-panel discussions and the participation of Gianni Infantino, the FIFA President, and Mario Monti, the EU Commissioner for Competition at the time of the RSTP’s adoption in 2001.
During the workshop, Infantino intimated participants with some of the reforms of his administration regarding transfers from 2016 to date with emphasis on the “Transfer Clearing House” and compensation for the training of players.
“When I was elected president of FIFA in 2016, I immediately committed to the reform of the transfer system: I feel that after 15 to 20 years, you have to look into what you can be doing better.”
He went further to say that “ believe we should seriously look into making all these rules a step more transparent than what they are now, a step clearer. The ‘Clearing House’ will help in this direction.
“Already, the payments for the training compensation will make sure that at least the 5%, which out of €7 billion is at least €350 million, should go to those clubs who train players”
Infantino was also particular about the transparency of transfers and how FIFA is working to ensure it eradicates the bad image attributed to the process.
“And then, in the second and the third step, all other payments in order to avoid what still happen regularly and bring a bad image into football, which is that every time financial police of almost any country in the world looks at some transfer activities, they find something.
“We have to stop with that. We have to make it transparent, we have to make it clear, we have to make the payments from one club to the other club [go] through a ‘Clearing House’ in order to improve, as well, the payment system, but also the transparency, the reputation and image of football.
“We’ll fight for that, we’ll go for that, and I’m sure we will achieve, as I said, a positive result in this respect.”
The 2021 edition of the commentary on the RSTP, which is only published in English, is accessible here or can be downloaded from legal.FIFA.com.
World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
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UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
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Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
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