PSSI prepares a new regulation to standardize players transfer

JAKARTA (JP): The Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) has drafted a new regulation on players' transfers and it will be effective in the 2001 Bank Mandiri national soccer league early next year.

PSSI competition director, Iswadi Idris, told reporters on Thursday the regulation standardizes players transfer procedures and fees in both amateur and semipro clubs competing in the Liga Indonesia (Ligina).

"When the amateur and semipro clubs agreed to unite in 1994, there were no talks about a transfer regulation. The amateur and semipros clubs had their own rules in the Ligina," Iswadi said on the sidelines of PSSI's technical meeting with 28 clubs, which will be taking part in the seventh league, at Sahid Jaya Hotel.

Iswadi said PSSI had allowed the clubs to set the transfer value. "We are just asking the clubs to notify us if there are any transfer deals taking place."

He said PSSI would receive five percent of a player's transfer fee. Another five percent will be given to PSSI's provincial chapter where the club is based, 10 percent will be given to the player and 80 percent will be handed to the club which is "selling" the player.

However, Iswadi said PSSI would not receive anything from transfer deals between amateur and professional clubs. The five percent share would be given to the provincial chapter.

The new regulation also clearly defines the status of the players at the end of their contracts. The players are also allowed to choose their own clubs.

In the past, a club will only release a player after receiving payment from a club which was signing on the player, regardless of his contract period. This practice allowed the club to seek funds although the contract with the player was not over.

"With this regulation, a player is free to choose any club to join at the end of his contract," he said, adding that clubs were free to set contract values and salaries.

Iswadi said a main division club must hire a player for a minimum of one season. If the player moves to an amateur club after ending his contract, he would have to wait two seasons before returning to a semipro club.

Ligina will officially kick off on Jan. 14, 2001 in Makassar to honor its local club PSM, the 2000 league champion.

Iswadi said that six clubs at the bottom of the main division standings would be relegated to the first division, while two clubs at the top of the first division will be promoted. This year, two clubs will be relegated while two others will be promoted.

"We hope in 2004, there will only be 16 clubs taking part in the national league. We want to purely apply the home and away system," he said. (ivy)