Marseille demands $1m from FIFA over Dede Ayew’s injury

• Posted on November 25, 2013
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

French giants Marseille are demanding $1m in compensation from FIFA over the injury Ghana international Andre Ayew suffered while playing for the Black Stars last week.

The Ghana Football Association is unable to pay the compensation because of its weak financial position but clubs are being protected under a new FIFA injury compensation scheme for clubs while players are on international duty.

The world governing body will examine the application of Marseille before deciding whether to pay the $1m demanded by the French side.

The talented winger suffered the knee injury during the World Cup playoff clash against Egypt last week when Ghana sealed its place at the World Cup.

Ayew, son of legend Abedi Pele, was substituted in the second-half of the match which has prompted to ask for US$ 1m under FIFA’s Club Protection Programme.

He will undergo surgery today (Moday) that is likely to rule him out for two months and Marseille are demanding the cash from FIFA to compensate for the lost time.

Under FIFA’s Club Protection Programme, introduced in June 2012, clubs are protected from paying the wages of players injured on international duty.

Following the injury the players must be then out of action long term — with the payments beginning on the 29th day after the injury is suffered.

”During the release period of such international ”A” matches, football players may suffer bodily injuries caused by accidents,” says the FIFA’s programme’s guidelines.

”As a consequence, a football player can suffer a temporary total disablement [TTD] that prevents him from participating in his football club’s matches.

“However, the football club still has an obligation to pay the football player’s salary based on the employment contract.

“Since the football player cannot work for the football club during a TTD, FIFA has decided to provide compensation for the losses encountered by the football club during the period that the football player is temporarily totally disabled.”

Ayew now faces a race against time to recover in time for next summer’s World Cup.

He is expected to return to action by January and will have enough time to recover from the injury before the World Cup that starts in June.

-ghanasoccernet.com