New twist in FIFA-UEFA transfer row

UEFA are to call an emergency meeting as the row over football's transfer system continues to escalate.

European football's governing body have threatened to cut ties with FIFA and go it alone in their aim to thrash out a settlement over the future of transfers.

UEFA are unhappy with FIFA's proposals to the European Commission last week concerning players' contracts.

And they stood firm after their morning deadline for world body FIFA to withdraw their blueprint passed.

After their executive committee met with the representatives of the 13 top European Leagues in Nyon, UEFA said in a statement that they "totally rejected" the document on transfers which they said had been submitted without any consultation by FIFA.

FIFA suggested in their document that players be allowed to break their contracts with as little as three months' notice.

UEFA favoured a five-year contract of which the first three years effectively tied a player to his club - although that plan was rejected as "unfair" by European players' union FIFPro.

UEFA's statement maintained that FIFA's paper was "damaging to European football" and added: "The meeting agreed that no further meetings should be held with FIFA unless certain principles were now agreed.

"UEFA and the Leagues expressed their regret at recent developments in the light of the progress that was being made in the discussions to secure a positive solution to the transfer issue.

"The meeting affirmed its support for the original proposals of the joint FIFA-UEFA Transfer Task Force as the basis for negotiation and stressed the importance of reaching an agreement on the key issues of contract stability and an effective system of compensation."

UEFA spokesman Mike Lee described FIFA's proposals as "unacceptable", adding: "We have convened an emergency meeting of our executive committee today and on Wednesday where we will report the results of yesterday's meetings and the strength of feeling from the top European leagues.

"We will also be communicating to both FIFA and the Commission the belief that European football's voice must be heard.

"The key point is you must have respect of contracts and FIFA's proposal undermines that.

"You're not trying to devise a system that works in the interests of players and the elite clubs - you're trying to create a system that works and protects the whole of European football."

FIFA responded by claiming they wanted to ensure their proposals were "both globally valid and not in violation of existing national legislation".

"Maybe FIFA has a more global view than UEFA, which is strictly European," said spokesman Keith Cooper. "Both parties seem to have approached it from different angles."

Insisting they would do their utmost to find a solution acceptable to all parties, FIFA added that "rather than heading for a conflict, which would lead to a court decision that would be detrimental to the world of sport, it prefers to continue by way of a dialogue in order to reach a compromise".