FIFA’s regulations on contract terminations could allow Mesut Ozil and other Premier League players to leave their clubs for free, if pay cuts are enforced without consent.
Ozil has been singled out after a report this week identified him as one of three Arsenal players reluctant to take a 12.5% pay cut in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Given his £350,000 per week salary, he has been heavily criticised for apparent greed, especially since the majority of the Gunners squad have already agreed to the cuts.
Those criticisms fail to take into account Ozil’s reasoning – concerns over how the money would be used by the club’s famously tight-fisted hierarchy – and the fact he is said to be happy to take an even bigger pay cut than his team-mates once he is convinced by the process.
‘Shame on you Mesut Ozil.’
‘This is why some players get a bad rap.’
Arsenal footballer Mesut Ozil, who earns £350,000 a week, has refused to join his teammates in taking a 12.5% pay cut. @piersmorgan | #GMB pic.twitter.com/P48IW04zWT
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 21, 2020
Little mention is made of his charity work either, as the former Germany international donates £2m every year to a number of good causes, so perhaps ‘greedy’ is jumping the gun in this instance.
But in any case, if a cut is forced on Ozil before he agrees to it, FIFA’s regulations on changed contract terms mean that he, along with any other player in his position, would have grounds to walk out on the remainder of their deal.
Article 14 of
There’s a lot you can criticise Ozil about but being greedy is NOT one of them
– Bought his childhood friends houses
– £2m to charity last year
– Funded 1000’a of operations for kids who can’t afford it
– Fed 16,000 refugees
-Invites disabled kids to his box every game
— Turkish Football (@Turkish_Futbol1) April 22, 2020
“Any abusive conduct of a party aiming at forcing the counter-party to terminate or change the terms of the contract shall entitle the counter-party (a player or a club) to terminate the contract with just cause.”
Ozil’s deal is due to expire in summer 2021, but it’s thought Arsenal remain confident of a compromise over a pay cut which would help them manage the coronavirus crisis.
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