Manager Transfer Window?

[Canaries Utd 0]

There is a piece on this on the BBC football website.In my opinion i think its a good idea, a similar window to the players transfer window but at different times I think would work.

[crabbycanary 2]

What happens to those managers that, at a moments notice, want to run, not even allowing enough time for a meeting with their Directors?

[The Walking Man 13]

I''m not 100% sure if it''s even legal, in fact i''m not 100% the transfer window for players is legal in EU countries.

The reason being is that surely it limits to time periods of which you are allowed to move jobs? Therefore surely that is preventing the freedom for movement for workers in the EU?

Hmm...

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="The Walking Man "]I''m not 100% sure if it''s even legal, in fact i''m not 100% the transfer window for players is legal in EU countries.

The reason being is that surely it limits to time periods of which you are allowed to move jobs? Therefore surely that is preventing the freedom for movement for workers in the EU?

Hmm...[/quote]you are right... it was bought in to try and counteract the Bosman ruling...I am just waiting for the day when 1 player challenges the transfer window and the whole thing falls apart pretty much overnight....

[Aggy 754]

Currently doing a post grad dissertation exactly on that The Walking Man.

The main reason that a transfer window (or a transfer system full stop - having to pay a large sum which is more than simply buying out a contract or training costs etc is not allowing free movement) is allowed is that the EU allows sport to have rules which keep that sport competitive. There was a big furor about the old transfer system, which is why in 2001 FIFA introduced this new system. The new system is just about ok according to the EU; players not being allowed to move at the last minute to any club which can pay them most allows for competition to be sustained. If Man City could go out and wave ridiculous sums of money at Man Utd''s players a month before the end of the season to sabotage Utd''s campaign then that''s not allowing a competitive league.

However, is the same true of managers? Tricky one, but probably not. It ultimately comes down to proportionality - is the restriction (ie; the transfer window) is a proportionate way of trying to achieve the aim (ie; maintaining a competitive balance)?

Managers don''t really have the same effect as players, if Hughton decided to up and leave right now, would we suddenly find ourself in real trouble? Compare that with if Bassong, Turner, Holt, Snodgrass and BJ were all poached away right now. We''d be in the mire if they left, but we''d just replace Hughton quite easily. So I don''t think a manager transfer window would ever be allowed.

[Aggy 754]

It has been challenged Jas, the windows themselves are fine as they are currently.

The interesting loophole though is Article 17 of FIFAs transfer regulations which allows a player to buy themselves out of a contract without the need for a transfer fee (if he is over a certain age and the contract is a certain length). This has been used once or twice (Andy Webster''s move from Hearts/Rangers to Wigan you may recall). However, for players this has since been changed slightly so that a rather large transfer fee is often still now required. For manager''s though that isn''t the case. That''s why you often see a manager leave and the compensation agreed reflects how long is left on his contract/wages etc. and not a lot more than that.

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="Aggy"]It has been challenged Jas, the windows themselves are fine as they are currently. [/quote]thats interesting that, by which player and what was the outcome for him?I''m talking if a player was being held "against his wishes" and didnt want to wait til January, threw his toys out of the pram and went to the courts.. could this mean the end of the transfer window?

[Bert sneakers 0]

I think a transfer window for managers is a worse idea than 1 for players, it would result it more knee jurk sackings simply because if the club don''t act in the window they may be stuck with the manager until the end of season and it could result in relegation.

It would in effect stop the board giving a manager time to turn it around.

[Aggy 754]

[quote user="jas the barclay king"][quote user="Aggy"]It has been challenged Jas, the windows themselves are fine as they are currently. [/quote]thats interesting that, by which player and what was the outcome for him?I''m talking if a player was being held "against his wishes" and didnt want to wait til January, threw his toys out of the pram and went to the courts.. could this mean the end of the transfer window?[/quote]

It was firstly allowed by the EU Commission when FIFA originally gave them the outline for the whole transfer system back in 2001; the Commission was investigating the transfer system in general (an investigation which stemmed pretty much entirely from the Bosman ruling) so FIFA went away, drew up a new system (the current one, windows and all) and then the Commission basically said ''yep, that system is fine, we''ll drop the case''.

It has also been slightly challenged (more as an additional plea rather than the main one) in later cases such as those regarding the transfers of Andy Webster and Matuzalem. In those cases the court briefly discussed the validity of the transfer system as a whole - with the windows making up part of that discussion - and said it was fine at those times, based on the proportionality arguments discussed above.

As long as there is an option to "buy yourself out" of a contract, a player can''t be ''held against his wishes''. He might not want to spend millions of pounds to buy out the contract, but that in itself isn''t enough to breach free movement laws. As long as that buying out/compensation for breach of contract is a reasonable sum (generally the value left on the contract plus training fees - and it is the training fees that develop the loophole I mentioned above which now mean a transfer fee in all but name still has to be paid for players but not managers) then the EU has been willing to accept the transfer windows and breach of contract compensation costs are a proportionate way to secure competitiveness in football.

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