This archive report was first published on 12 June 2020.
Football's governing body, Fifa, has announced a series of temporary amendments to help the sport recover from the impact of the coronavirus shutdown. The changes, announced on June 11, 2020, will allow leagues to open their transfer windows before the current, delayed season has been completed.
According to Fifa, the first registration period, also known as the summer transfer window, can overlap with the delayed end of the season by up to four weeks. This is a significant change from the usual rules, which state that the transfer window does not open until the season has been completed.
Many leagues in Europe were halted in March and will not finish until late July, so the new rules will allow clubs to make transfers before the season ends. However, new signings will not be able to play until the next season begins.
Additionally, players moving under freedom of contract will also be subject to the same rules. The transfer window can stay open for up to 12 weeks.
Not all leagues will follow the new rules, however. The president of La Liga, Javier Tebas, has indicated that the window in Spain will only open once the season has been completed and will run from late July to early October. The Premier League has also stated that their window will only open once the season has finished.
France, however, has already opened its domestic transfer window on Monday, despite the season being declared over in late April.
Fifa has also called on clubs to extend contracts for players whose deals are due to expire before the end of the season, and has recommended that players who have signed pre-contract agreements be allowed to stay at their current clubs until the season ends.
Furthermore, Fifa has introduced an amendment allowing players who are free agents to play for three different clubs in the course of the same season, in order to avoid any concerns regarding unemployed players.
