This Monday, July 1, is a doubly special date for Adrien Rabiot. On the right and as a priority, at 18 o’clock there is this round of 16 of the European Championship 2024, which he will play with the French team against Belgium. On the other hand, this day marks his entry, temporarily as we imagine, into the club of players free from any contract, his lease with Juventus runs until June 30, 2024 and has not been renewed.
A situation in which the former PSG player (28 years old) is not the only one who finds himself. Among others, the Dutchman Memphis Depay, who until then played in Atlético de Madrid, and the Turkish Yusuf Yazici, whose contract with Lille was not renewed, will also play their round of 16 on Tuesday (respectively at 18:00 against Romania and at 09:00). at against Austria) in the shoes of free agents. Do the UEFA rules say anything about these special cases and does this change anything for them?
No obligation to have a club license to compete in the EC
Not much really, apart from the hassle it can be for a player to find a new base. Nothing prohibits a player who is not under contract with a club from playing in Euro 2024. Article 47 of the rules on the registration of players only requires that they hold a valid passport or identity card from the country he is playing”, and that they must “undergo a medical examination to the extent set out in UEFA’s medical regulations”.
There is no mention of a club or a license issued by a member association. Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea, for example, without a club since July 1, 2023, could therefore have been chosen to defend Spain’s goal, and nothing prevents Rabiot from keeping his place with the Blues.
However, another question may arise: what happens if Adrien Rabiot is seriously injured this Monday night against Belgium, or during any quarter, semi or final? Will he be insured in the same way as a team-mate who is under contract with a club? The competition regulations again state that “associations are responsible for their insurance cover and undertake to take out, at their expense, all necessary and appropriate insurance to cover their delegations, including players and officials.” Without specifying what the insurance in question should cover.
A “fragile” situation
Usually the issue of insurance arises especially for clubs and the compensation they receive if their players are injured during international periods. “An insurance plan has been introduced which provides compensation in favor of the club, exclusively the club, in the event of injury to a player during competitions under the auspices of Fifa or UEFA,” explains Didier Loiseau, general manager of Miller Sports, specializing in sports insurance. This compensation can go up to 7.5 million dollars (6.87 million euros) Per year. »
What about the players? Most people today take out personal insurance and pay monthly compensation to be able to continue receiving their salary in the event of a long-term injury, or to receive compensation if they have to end their career prematurely. It is not mandatory and a minority do not subscribe to it, but it is generally recommended by advisors and clubs. When a player is under contract, his club, depending on championships or contracts, can retain the salary for a given period (in France, for example, three months is mandatory before the insurance has to take over).
Indeed, for Loiseau, the case that Rabiot finds himself in “may be a fragile situation and it is better for him to have personal insurance”, in which case “he will be compensated”.
Meanwhile, the player is in good shape and 100% focused on his competition. It is clear that it is better for him, for the transfer he has to negotiate this summer and for the French team that no injury disrupts this situation.
