Famous sports lawyer Ilya Skoropashkin commented for "UF "Alexandria" player Vladislav Baboglo's decision to play for the Moldovan national team.
- Changing one's sports citizenship is nothing new. Athletes have the right to do so, and there are many such cases. Different factors can induce them: a greater range of opportunities, family or political circumstances, national identity, and sometimes simply financial interest.
Obviously, the Moldovan federation and Vladislav himself took advantage of his background. The number and level of played matches for Ukrainian youth teams and other factors (the player was 21 when he played his last match in the "youth" team and 3 years expired) allowed the Football Federation of Moldova to apply to FIFA to change the player`s citizenship. UAF could only formally participate in this process - to confirm the statistical indicators of the player.
- Is there any provision for one national association to pay the other in case of naturalization of a player trained by it?
- No, there are no provisions for compensation between soccer federations in case of a change of nationality by a player. In other sports I haven't seen any official rules about such compensation either. However, sometimes payments do take place.
The Olympic Charter, for example, restricts the performance of athletes for a new country for three years if the previous federation and NOC did not give their consent for such performance. Hence, there are different situations when such agreement is banal. In soccer everything is very clearly regulated.
- Why is there no mechanism how to do it? Would it be fair for the Moldovan or Azerbaijani associations to pay any fees to the UAF?
- The training of players is carried out in the clubs. If a player further progresses, his former club can expect to receive solidarity payments upon his paid transfer. As, for example, Chernihiv DYUSSH received funds from Andrii Yarmolenko's transfer from Dynamo to Borussia. If there is no club, the national federation receives this payment.
The system of compensation payments and solidarity mechanism is aimed at supporting the clubs that provide quality preparation of players, motivating them financially. Receipt of payment for the change of a player's sports citizenship by the soccer federation which is not training him directly will motivate the federation to facilitate the transition of Ukrainian players to foreign clubs. I do not think it is reasonable and fair to the Ukrainian clubs that prepared such a player.
Danilo Vereitin