LIGUE 1
What happens if PSG terminate Sergio Ramos' contract?
With the Ligue 1 giants concerned about the acquisition of the Spanish defender, who is yet to play for them, thoughts now turn to legal ramifications.
Late on Sunday there was a report in Le Parisien suggesting that Sergio Ramos' time with Paris Saint-Germain could be over before it has even begun. They stated that the French outfit were contemplating the termination of the Spaniard's contract, with the high-profiled star being kept from making his debut with the Ligue 1 side due to injury.
Can PSG end Sergio Ramos' contract?
The former Real Madrid centre-back signed a contract in the summer to be with PSG for the next two seasons, with a salary of around 10 million euros for each campaign. Although the French media outlet believes that rescinding the contract is still a possibility, it has also highlighted that it is “not on the agenda” for the moment, likely due to the complications involved.
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In a piece published by IUSPORT, there was a reminder that Article 17 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players provides for compensation in such cases. It reads:
“In all cases, the party terminating the contract is obliged to pay compensation. Subject to the provisions on training compensation in Art. 20 and Annex 4, and unless otherwise stipulated in the contract, the compensation for non-performance shall be calculated considering national legislation, the characteristics of the sport and other objective criteria."
It would appear from a report in Mundo Deportivo that the indemnity, which is the compensation for any loss incurred due to acts by the other party, is fixed based on: "the remuneration and other benefits due to the player under the existing contract or the new contract, the remaining contractual time, up to a maximum of five years, the fees and expenses disbursed by the previous club (amortized over the term of the contract), as well as the question of whether the termination of the contract occurs in a protected period."
In Ramos’ case, the party breaking the contract would be the club, and that would leave PSG exposed to a penalty, in addition to compensation, if the dismissal came without just cause during the so-called 'protected period', which is three years from when the contract was signed.
The aforementioned regulations provide that, as well as being obliged to pay compensation to the player, "sporting sanctions must be imposed on the club that terminates a contract during the protected period, or has induced the termination of a contract". In the worst-case scenario, these penalties could lead to a two-window ban on signings.
Of course, we have not seen the specific clauses written into Ramos' contract with PSG and it is very possible that there is a provision for the current unfortunate situation, which sees a 35-year-old player with a previous injury unable to feature for his new side. No doubt that level of detail will come out soon enough, and will be the determining factor in what the club decide to do with their recent acquisition.