JUMP TO:
- What is a pre-contract agreement in soccer?
- How do pre-contract agreements work?
- Can players sign pre-contract agreements with Premier League clubs?
- What is a Bosman rule?
- Famous players to sign pre-contract agreements
The ability of football players to move freely between clubs has not always been as fans are used to in the modern age of the sport.
How players choose their next employer is a complicated process which involves many intermediaries, as well as a number of various regulations and mechanics.
The January transfer window is one which features one of those mechanics quite heavily, as it coincides with the opening of a time period in which players can sign agreements with new clubs provided their current contract is close to expiring.
AllSportsPeople details how a player can sign for a new club while playing for another, and the history behind the pre-contract agreement which did not always exist.
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What is a pre-contract agreement in soccer?
A pre-contract agreement is exactly what it sounds like.
Players are allowed, in a certain, pre-determined window of time, to sign a contract with a new club while currently under contract with their current club.
Essentially, it is a legally binding agreement which a player and club agree that a contract will be signed between the two parties once that player's current contract expires.
How do pre-contracts work? Rules for players signing for new clubs
Six months before a player's current contract expires, that player is eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with a different club binding them to that new club once their current contract expires.
With most contracts expiring on July 1 of a given year, players are largely eligible to sign pre-contract agreements on January 1 of that same year.
Thus, it behooves a club to tie their players on expiring contracts down long-term if they wish to keep that player around after their current deal runs out.
Can players sign pre-contract for another Premier League team?
Yes, players can sign a pre-contract agreement with any other club, including their own league, but there are special restrictions.
In England, the traditional six-month window for pre-contracts applies only for international transfers. For players wishing to sign pre-contract agreements with domestic-based clubs, they must wait until there is one month before the expiration of their current contract.
Usually, this takes the player into the domestic offseason, as contracts expire on July 1 and most European leagues end sometime in early or mid-May.
This usually doesn't cause too many negotiation issues. By the time there is six months left in a player's contract, most individuals on an expiring contract know whether they will sign a new deal with their current club or pursue free agency. At that point, they are allowed to speak with other clubs and can strike handshake deals even if they are not yet able to sign a binding pre-contract agreement.
What is the Bosman rule?
The ability for football players to sign pre-contract agreements and free transfers stems from a landmark court case in 1995.
At the time, players were restricted by their old clubs from moving freely to a new employer, even if their contract had expired.
The case, officially known as Union Royale Belge des Societes de Football Association ASBL vs. Jean-Marc Bosman, saw Belgian player Jean-Marc Bosman sue his club RFC Liege, the Belgian FA, and UEFA to free him from the archaic employment regulations that restricted his free market abilities.
The European Court of Justice ruled in favour of Bosman, thus creating the free agency system we know today as a "free transfer" as well as the ability for players to sign pre-contract agreements. Thus, it became colloquially known as the "Bosman rule."
Famous players to sign pre-contract agreements
One of the most famous pre-contract agreements of modern football was signed by Robert Lewandowski, who not only was a world-class player as his Borussia Dortmund contract wound down in the first half of 2014, but his agreement with Dortmund's arch-rivals Bayern Munich caused quite a stir.
Since then, most players have found that running down the season before announcing their next home is the proper course of action, as to avoid the awkwardness of playing for one club while under contract with another, even if a pre-contract agreement has been signed behind closed doors.
Another famous pre-contract agreement was signed by Steve McManaman while making the switch from Liverpool to Real Madrid in 1999.
Sol Campbell signed a pre-contract agreement with Arsenal while running down his contract with North London derby foes Tottenham in 2001, but did so in secret understanding there would be serious backlash for such a contentious move.