Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube
THE Footballers Union of Zimbabwe (FUZ) says clubs and coaches must consider not keeping potential players for over a fortnight on trials.
Some clubs have been seen keeping players for months without making a decision leaving them hopeful of an imminent deal.
“Worldwide trials do not last two weeks. They are actually not trials but assessments where the club looks at the skill level and judge whether the player fits into the coach’s playing philosophy and tactics,” said Wonder Sithole the secretary-general of FUZ.
Sithole said as FUZ they have in the past received complaints from players feeling hard done after being kept at training until the last day of the transfer-window.
He said clubs were taking advantage of the players’ desperation.
“For a player, as long as they still entertain you at training for weeks and involve you in friendly or practice matches, it creates room for hope that a deal could be looming. It really is not proper to keep a player and release on the last day, when and where does a player get another deal? The players must not be kept for so long as to lose other potential deals,” said Sithole.
The administrator said players have the right to speak to coaches to find out if they are in the coach’s plans.
“Perhaps players tend to fear asking from coaches if they are in their players. It is their right to establish if there is a likelihood of a deal so that they move on. It is painful and unfair to be told on the last day of registration that you are not in the club’s plans. Coaches and clubs must put on a human face and consider that job hunting players have families to take care of,” said Sithole.
Sithole said staying too long on trial risks one getting injuries without a contract.
“Football is risky, one can get a permanent injury while on trial, most clubs do not take care of players on trial, be it transport, food or health bills in the case of injury,” said the former Dynamos attacking midfielder.
Sithole said ordinarily the expectation with Premier League recruitment is that the player would have been on the radar with data supposed to be used in the decision making.
“Elsewhere clubs profile a player and just invite him for medicals and deal is sealed, we lack scientific approach to evaluate players. At times here the coach wants to check on the player’s injury and thinks subjecting him to intense training will expose and end up keeping the player longer on trial,” said Sithole.
As FUZ Sithole said they can only ask coaches and players to think about the players and release them without subjecting them to prolonged trials.
