The FIFA Council agreed on Monday to establish a series of exceptions to the regulations that oblige clubs to cede players to national teams in international matches to be played during the month of September, due to the preventive measures taken by various countries to control the coronavirus pandemic.
“Many national governments have reimposed travel and immigration restrictions because the number of cases has increased again. Some of these measures directly affect international competitions, such as mandatory quarantines or isolation, or travel restrictions, ”FIFA explained in a press release.
For this reason and in order “to guarantee the health and well-being of all those involved in international competitions”, the FIFA Council, in collaboration with UEFA, decided that the regulations that usually oblige clubs to assign players to national teams will not apply in the following circumstances:
“When a mandatory quarantine or isolation period of a minimum of five days must be fulfilled after reaching the territory where the club that must transfer the player to the national team has its headquarters, or the destination where the match is scheduled for the selection ”, explained FIFA.
Likewise, the transfer regulations will not apply “when there are travel restrictions to or from the destinations mentioned above”, as well as “when the competent authorities have not granted the selected players any specific exemption with respect to the aforementioned decisions”.
These “temporary amendments” will be applicable, as detailed by FIFA in its letter, during the international period between August 31 and September 8 – men's selections – and from September 14 to 22 – women's selections – of the year 2020 .
Likewise, as FIFA recalled, “the participants in those matches played within the framework of international periods must respect the health and safety protocols established by the organizer of the competition.”