FIFA will allow foreign soccer players in Russia to break away from their current contracts and sign with new clubs until June 30, according to The News York Times. With the nation’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine continuing, it’s left numerous players in Russia in potentially difficult circumstances as other countries around the world levee sanctions impacting normal day-to-day life in the country. Understandably, many want to leave and seek a more stable and secure place to be.
This decision will impact around 100 players, but it is only temporary, essentially allowing players to force loan moves until the summer.
This comes after FIFA and UEFA took their own measures, booting Russian clubs from European competitions, while also barring the national team from this year’s World Cup before potentially even qualifying.
One club, Krasnodar, announced last week that their coaches and players could suspend their contracts and leave. Manager Daniel Farke, formerly of Norwich City, quit without having coached a single match.
In a letter, FIFPro stated that they wanted the players to be able to terminate their deals, according to The New York Times:
“These foreign players may rightfully consider that they are not willing to represent any longer a Russian team and should be able to immediately terminate their contract with their employer without facing any sanction whatsoever from international bodies and to be registered in a new club without being restricted by transfer period regulations.”
Clubs around the world now may just get the opportunity to add essentially free agents for three months, though it isn’t clear how that would look. Leagues have deadlines to register players for competitions, though they are able to add free agents throughout the campaign.
The Russian first division has several players that would be highly sought to boost clubs around Europe. Former Barcelona winger Malcom is the highest-valued players, while Colombian talents Wilmar Barrios and Jhon Cordoba also play there.
CBS Sports will update this story as more information becomes available.