The various compensation mechanisms existing for the benefit of football training clubs

La formation des jeunes joueurs de football et les mécanismes indemnitaires au profit des clubs formateurs font souvent l’objet d’interrogations diverses et variées. Récemment, elles ont fait l’objet d’une actualité plus prononcée du fait du transfert avorté de l’international français Kylian Mbappé, depuis le Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) vers le Real Madrid. En l’absence de transfert, son club formateur, l’AS Bondy, n’a pas été en droit de recouvrer l’intégralité du montant qu’il aurait pu percevoir au titre de sa formation. Il convient, dès lors, d’évoquer les différents mécanismes en question, à savoir :

• Les mécanismes indemnitaires applicables au niveau national (I.)
• Les mécanismes indemnitaires applicables au niveau international (II.)

I . Les mécanismes indemnitaires applicables au niveau national

D’un point de vue national, l’analyse des Règlements Généraux de la Fédération Française de Football (FFF) fait apparaître plusieurs mécanismes :

• L’indemnité de préformation (A.) ;
• L’indemnité compensatrice de mutation (B.) ;
• Les indemnités de formation (C.).

A. L’indemnité de préformation

Les articles 56 à 58 des Règlements Généraux de la FFF prévoient un mécanisme indemnitaire consistant en une indemnité de préformation en faveur des clubs amateurs au sein desquels un joueur stagiaire, élite ou professionnelle a évolué lorsqu’il était licencié en catégories U10, U11, U12 et U13. Lorsqu'un joueur de moins de 23 ans issu d'un club amateur signe un premier contrat professionnel, élite ou stagiaire, il y a ainsi lieu à paiement d'une indemnité de préformation. Cette indemnité est ventilée entre le ou les clubs amateurs formateurs et les Districts. A défaut de District, la Ligue est bénéficiaire. Le ou les clubs formateurs sont les clubs amateurs dans lesquels le joueur a été licencié au cours des saisons lors desquelles le joueur a évolué au sein des catégories U10, U11, U12 et U13. Les saisons passées dans un club professionnel en qualité d'amateur dans ces catégories ne donnent pas lieu à paiement de l'indemnité. Cette indemnité n'est due par le club professionnel qu'une seule fois à la date d’effet de l'un de ces contrats.

S’agissant du montant, l’annexe 5 prévoit le versement, par les clubs professionnels, des sommes suivantes

• A la signature d'un contrat stagiaire : 12.500,00 euros, répartis comme suit :
  • 7.650,00 au (x) club(s) amateur(s) formateur(s)
  • 4.850,00 euros au (x) District(s)
• A la signature d’un contrat élite ou professionnel : 15.000,00 euros, répartis comme suit :
  • 8.000,00 euros au(x) club(s) formateur(s)
  • 7.000,00 euros au(x) District(s)

Les Règlements Généraux de la FFF prévoient également une indemnité compensatrice de mutation.

B . L’indemnité compensatrice de mutation

L’article 51 des Règlements Généraux de la FFF prévoit une indemnité, particulière, dans le cas suivant : lorsqu’au moins deux joueurs licenciés dans un même club amateur demandent, au cours d’une même saison, une qualification stagiaire, élite ou professionnelle au sein d’un club disposant d’un statut professionnel. Dans ce cas de figure, le club professionnel est redevable au club amateur d’une indemnité compensatrice de mutation, distincte de l’indemnité de préformation ci-avant visée. Il convient de préciser que le droit à ladite indemnité est prescrit à l’expiration d’un délai de 6 mois suivant la date d’homologation du contrat. Quant au montant de cette indemnité, il est fixé à l’annexe 5 des Règlements Généraux de la FFF, à un montant, pour la saison 2021/2022, de 11 435,00 euros.

C . Les indemnités de formation

A l’issue de son contrat aspirant ou de son contrat stagiaire, un joueur en formation peut s’engager avec un autre club professionnel. Son nouveau club devra, dès lors, payer des indemnités de formation au club formateur. Aussi convient-t-il d’évoquer :

• Les conditions d’attribution (a.) ;
• La détermination des coûts de formation (b.) ;
• Les modalités de calcul de l’indemnité de formation (c.) ;
• L’adjonction éventuelle d’une indemnité de valorisation de formation (d.) ;
• Les modalités de mise en œuvre des indemnités de formation (e.).

a . Les conditions d’attribution des indemnités de formation

L’article 261 de la Charte du football professionnel encadre les règles applicables en la matière. Au terme de la saison au cours de laquelle un joueur sous contrat apprenti ou aspirant est âgé de moins de 17 ans au 31 décembre de l’année de cette même saison, le club a la possibilité de :

• proposer à l’autre partie la signature d’un nouveau contrat de stagiaire de 3 saisons
• d’exiger d’un joueur la signature d’un contrat stagiaire, dans la limite d’un contrat par saison

À l’expiration :

• des contrats apprenti et aspirant : le club est en droit d’exiger de l’autre partie la signature d’un nouveau contrat de joueur stagiaire, élite ou professionnel
• du contrat stagiaire : le club est en droit d’exiger de l’autre partie la signature d’un contrat professionnel

Dans l’hypothèse où le joueur refuse de signer l’un des contrats ci-avant présentés (contrat de joueur en formation, de joueur Elite ou de joueur professionnel), il disposera alors de trois options, selon son statut :

• S’il était sous statut amateur avec le club quitté : il pourra signer un contrat aspirant ou apprenti avec un autre club membre de la LFP
• S’il était sous statut aspirant, apprenti ou amateur sous convention de formation avec le club quitté : il pourra signer un contrat Elite ou professionnel avec un autre club membre de la LFP
• S’il était sous statut stagiaire avec le club quitté : il pourra signer un contrat professionnel avec un autre club membre de la LFP

C’est dans le cadre de la conclusion de ce dernier contrat qu’une indemnité de formation sera due par le nouveau club au club quitté, ce dans la mesure où le nouveau contrat prévoit une rémunération annuelle fixe au moins égale à celle du contrat en cours. Le dernier club quitté est bénéficiaire de l’indemnité de formation si le joueur est licencié en son sein ou titulaire du contrat en cas de prêt sur la période de référence.

b . La détermination des coûts de formation

Le coût de la formation des joueurs est établie suivant une classification par 4 catégories. Cette classification est adoptée annuellement par la Commission nationale paritaire de la Convention collective nationale des métiers du football (CCNMF) pour la saison qui précède l’application de l’indemnité de formation. A titre d’exemple, les indemnités de formation dues en 2021/2022 seront calculées selon la classification adoptée pour la saison 2020/2021 et sont applicables au club quitté.

‍c . Les modalités de calcul de l’indemnité de formation

‍L’indemnité de formation est calculée en considération de la formation effective du joueur entre 12 et 20 ans étant précisé que pour le calcul de l’indemnité de formation, l’âge pris en compte est l’âge du joueur au 31 décembre de la saison considérée. Entre 12 et 15 ans, l’indemnité est plafonnée à 10.000,00 euros par année. Entre 16 et 20 ans, pour les joueurs sous statut amateur et signataires d’une convention de formation homologuée par la LFP durant cette période, les indemnités suivantes s’appliquent :

• Catégorie 1 : 90.000,00 euros par année de formation
• Catégorie 2 (centres de formation classés en catégorie 2A ou 2B) : 60.000,00 euros par année de formation
• Catégorie 3 (centres de formation classés en catégorie 2C) : 30.000,00 euros par année de formation
• Catégorie 4 (clubs à statut professionnel sans centre de formation agréé) : 10.000,00 euros par année de formation.

A titre d’exemple, un joueur, disposant d’un statut amateur, est formé entre 12 et 18 ans au FC Nantes. Il y est signataire de plusieurs conventions de formation dûment homologuées par la LFP. Le FC Nantes lui propose un contrat professionnel qu’il refuse de signer. Il signe, ensuite, un contrat professionnel avec l’Olympique Lyonnais, avec une rémunération annuelle fixe supérieure à sa précédente rémunération. L’Olympique Lyonnais (OL) sera redevable d’une indemnité de formation au profit du FC Nantes. Afin de procéder au calcul de l’indemnité, il convient de déterminer la catégorie à laquelle appartient le club formateur. Selon la classification établie en 2020/2021, le FC Nantes appartient à la catégorie 1. Son coût de formation annuelle s’élève donc à un montant de 90.000,00 euros. Cette indemnité sera, dès lors, calculée comme suit :

• Coût de la formation entre 12 et 15 ans : 10.000 € X 4 saisons = 40.000,00 euros ;
• Coût de la formation entre 16 et 18 ans : 90.000 € X 3 saisons = 270.000,00 euros.

L’OL devra donc verser au FC Nantes une indemnité de formation égale à 310.000,00 euros.

d . L’adjonction éventuelle d’une indemnité de valorisation de formation

Le montant de l’indemnité de formation précédemment établi pourra faire l’objet d’une valorisation, ce par le biais de l’indemnité de valorisation de formation. Cette indemnité est prévue à l’article 261, 2° b) de la Charte du football professionnel. Ainsi, en cas d’homologation du nouveau contrat (aspirant, stagiaire, Elite ou professionnel), une indemnité est due par le nouveau club au(x) club(s) quitté(s) en cas de survenance des évènements suivants, en cours d’exécution du nouveau contrat :

• Participation effective, à savoir une entrée sur le terrain, à une 3ème sélection nationale en moins de 19 ans ou moins de 20 ans (les deux pouvant se cumuler) : 200.000,00 euros
• Participation effective à une première sélection Espoirs ou après 30 participations effectives en championnat de Ligue 1 Uber Eats : 400.000,00 euros
• Participation effective à une première sélection en équipe nationale A : 600.000,00 euros
• Participation effective à une 2ème sélection en équipe nationale A : 400.000,00 euros
• Participation effective à une 3ème sélection en équipe nationale A : 200.000,00 euros

Il convient de noter que :

• On the one hand, that effective participation in the above events must take place during an official meeting of the national team concerned
• On the other hand, the above allowances are cumulative but capped at a maximum amount of 1.5 million euros (article 261, 2° 1b) of the Professional Football Charter)

Article 261, 2° b2) also provides for additional compensation in the following cases:

• For each extension of the duration of the contract before the end of the 23rd anniversary season, the new club must pay to the former club an allowance equal to 12 months of the average gross monthly salary of the new approved contract signed with the player
• In the event of a permanent transfer in France or abroad, the new club will have to pay the club left an allowance equal to 20% of the amount excluding tax of the transfer allowance received

It is necessary to specify that:

• The amounts due and/or paid for the effective participation in the official matches mentioned above are deducted from the amounts provided for the extension or transfer.
• In the event that a player refuses an aspiring or apprentice contract in a first club, then a trainee contract in a second club and finally signs a professional contract in a third club, all the training benefits mentioned above will be applicable to this third club and must be paid to this third club and must be paid to the last club left or to the last two clubs left in proportion to the value of the training allowance mentioned above.

A relevant example is provided at the end of this article of the Professional Football Charter. It will be repeated below. A player was born in May 2000 and has been licensed within his training club since July 2012. During his last season on a trainee contract, this player refused to sign the professional contract proposal of his training club, which has category 2B.

With regard to training allowances:

‍As for training allowances, the club wishing to have him sign a professional contract must pay an amount of 280.000,00 euros to his training club, i.e.: [(10,000 euros X 4 seasons) + (60,000 euros X 4 seasons) + (60,000 euros X 4 seasons) = 280,000€]

‍With regard to the training enhancement allowance:

‍After signing with his new club, this player was officially selected twice for the national team under 19 and once in under 20 years of age. In accordance with the provisions of Article 261, 2° 1b) of the Professional Football Charter, the new club must pay the forming club an additional amount of 200,000.00 euros. Subsequently, the player is permanently transferred to a third club, for an amount of 2,200,000.00 euros, the second club will then have to pay an additional compensation equal to 20% of this amount. However, it will be necessary to deduct from this amount the sum of 200,000.00 euros previously paid (article 261, 2° 1b) of the Professional Football Charter). The second club will therefore be liable for the benefit of the training club for the following amount: (2,200,000.00 euros X 20%) — 200,000.00 euros = 240,000€. As part of the training enhancement allowance, the second club will therefore be liable for a total amount of: €200,000.00 + €240.000.00 = €440,000.00 = 440.000,00 euros.

‍With regard to the total amount received by the training club in respect of training allowances

‍In total, the training club will therefore receive a total amount of: 280,000€ + 440.000,00€ = 720,000€.

e. The procedures for implementing training allowances

It is appropriate to address:

• The applicable deadlines (I.);
• Penalties applicable in case of non-compliance (II.).

I. With regard to the applicable deadlines

‍First of all, it should be noted that the right to the training allowance is valid within twenty-four months following the refusal of the contract proposal by the player.In addition, the new club, responsible for the payment of the compensation mentioned above, must pay them within thirty days of receiving the invoice issued following the occurrence of the event giving rise to the compensation. In the event of a dispute between the clubs, the period starts to run from the receipt of the notification of the decision of the legal committee. The appeal before the LFP Appeal Committee is suspended.

‍II. With regard to sanctions applicable in case of non-compliance

‍Non-compliance with the above provisions leads to the application of the following sanctions:

• Payment of the above benefits between the 31st and 90th day following the receipt of the invoice issued following the occurrence of the event giving rise to the compensation: increase in the amount of 5%,
• Non-payment of the above benefits on the 91st day: withdrawal of 1 to 3 points in the context of the professional championship in which the failing club participates.

The application of sanctions is the responsibility of the Legal Committee of the Professional Football League (LFP). In addition to these national mechanisms, there are mechanisms provided for by FIFA.

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II. Compensation mechanisms applicable at the international level

As soon as a player trained in France signs an employment contract with a foreign club, FIFA regulations apply. In particular, the latter provides for the following mechanisms:

• Training allowances (A.) ;
• The solidarity mechanism (B.).

A. Training allowances

The provisions of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (hereinafter “) The Regulation ”) provide for training allowances for training clubs. It is therefore appropriate to mention:

• The conditions of award (a.)
• Determining training costs (b.)
• Calculation methods (c.)
• Payment terms (d.)

‍A. The conditions for awarding training allowances

‍In the field of men's football exclusively, article 20 of the Regulation entitles the holder to training allowances for the benefit of the training club (s) when:

• On the one hand, a player is registered for the first time as a professional player
• On the other hand, during each transfer of a professional player, until the end of the calendar year of his 23rd birthday, between clubs belonging to two different national associations

The obligation to pay a training allowance exists regardless of whether the transfer takes place during or at the end of the contract. According to the Rules, the training and education of a player takes place between the ages of 12 and 23. For training completed up to the age of 21, the training allowance is, in principle, payable up to the age of 23. However, when it is obvious that the player has completed his training period before the age of 21, the allowance is due until the end of the calendar year in which the player reaches the age of 23 but the calculation of the amount will be based on the years from the age of 12 to the age at which it is established that the player has actually completed his training. Annex 4 of the Regulation also specifies the cases in which training allowances are excluded:

• if the former club terminates the player's contract without just cause, without prejudice to the rights of the former clubs
• if the player is transferred to a category 4 club, shown below
• If a professional regains amateur status during the transfer

‍b. Determining training costs

‍In order to determine the cost of training and educating training clubs, FIFA requires national associations to classify their clubs into a maximum of four categories. These four categories are determined in particular in consideration of the financial investments made by clubs for the training of players. The training costs are then fixed for each category and therefore correspond to the amount necessary to train a player for one year. In order not to omit the multitude of players trained in training clubs that have not signed a professional contract, this amount is multiplied by a factor” Average player ”, which is the ratio between the number of players trained on a professional player. Training costs are revised at the end of each calendar year and associations must constantly update the information relating to the training category of their clubs within the online platform. Transfer Matching System (TMS) (Article 5.1, paragraph 2 of Annex 3 to the Regulation). For example, in France, the amounts applicable, per year, to each category, are as follows:

• Category 1:90.000,00 euros
• Category 2 (training centers classified in categories 2A or 2B): 60.000,00 euros
• Category 3 (training centers classified in categories 2C): 30.000,00 euros
• Category 4 (clubs with professional status without an approved training center): 10,000.00 euros.

c. How to calculate training allowances

‍The calculation of the training allowance, due to the former club or clubs that trained the professional player, is based on the training costs, previously established, of the new club as if it had trained the player itself. In the case of a first registration as a professional player, the training allowance is calculated by taking into account the training costs of the new club and multiplying them by the number of years of training beginning in principle from the calendar year of the player's 12th birthday to the calendar year of the player's 21st birthday until the calendar year of his 21st birthday, it being specified that the age taken into account is that of the player on 31 December of the season in question. In the event of subsequent transfers, the training allowance is calculated by taking the training costs of the new club multiplied by the number of years of training with the old club. To prevent the training allowance for very young players from reaching excessively high amounts, the training costs for players in the calendar years between their 12th and 15th birthdays, i.e. four seasons, are always based on the training and education costs of category 4 clubs.

For example, a player is trained from his 12th to his 21st birthday with a Spanish club. He signed his first professional contract at the age of 21 with a French club: LOSC Lille. The calculation should therefore be based on LOSC training costs. Since LOSC is classified in category 1, the annual cost of the training is equal to 90.000,00 euros. In accordance with the provisions mentioned above, between the 12th and the 15th anniversary, i.e. four seasons, the training cost is limited to that of a category 4 club, i.e. an annual amount of 10,000.00 euros.

Let's now retrace the course in order to determine the corresponding training allowance. During the four seasons between the player's 12th and 15th birthday, the training cost is equal to:€10,000 X 4 seasons = 40,000.00 euros. Between its 16th and 21st birthday, i.e. for 6 seasons, the training cost is equal to: 90,000 euros X 6 seasons = 54,000,000 euros. In total, the training allowance for which LOSC will be liable to the Spanish training club will therefore amount to an amount of 580.000,00 euros, i.e.: 40,000 + 540,000 = 580,000,000 = 580,000,000 euros.

d. The methods of payment of training allowances

‍When a player is registered for the first time as a professional, the club for which the player is registered is required to pay the training allowance within 30 days to all clubs with which the player has been registered. The amount to be paid is calculated in proportion to the training period that the player spent with each club. In the event of subsequent transfers by the professional player, the training allowance will only be due by the new club to the player's former club for the period during which it actually trained the player. In the two cases mentioned above, the deadline for the payment of the training allowance is 30 days following the registration of the professional player with the new association. An association is entitled to receive a training allowance that would in principle be due to one of its affiliated clubs if it can prove that the club in question — with which the professional player was registered and trained — has in the meantime ceased to participate in organized football or to exist.

In the event of a dispute relating in particular to the amount of training allowances, the Dispute Resolution Chamber, under the aegis, since October 1, 2021, of the Football Court, is competent to rule and adjust the amount.” if it is clearly disproportionate in the case in question” (article 5.4 of Annex 4 to the Regulation).

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B. The solidarity mechanism

The solidarity mechanism, also called solidarity contribution, was established in 2001 by FIFA for the benefit of amateur clubs. To date, it is the international compensation mechanism with the most profitable potential for training clubs, insofar as the compensation is fixed at 5% of the amount of the player's transfer. It is therefore expressly provided for, as follows, by article 21 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players:

“If a professional player is transferred before the expiry of his contract, any club that participated in the training and education of the player will receive a proportion of the compensation paid to the former club (solidarity contribution). The provisions concerning the solidarity contribution are detailed in Annex 5 to this Regulation..”

Annex 5 states as follows:

• the conditions of award (a. );
• The methods of calculation (b. );
• the terms of payment (c.).

A. Conditions for awarding the solidarity mechanism

‍This mechanism only applies for the benefit of players, with professional status, who have been transferred when they were (necessarily) still under contract. The transfer can be permanent or take the form of a loan. The transfer operation must have been carried out between two clubs affiliated to different national associations or between two clubs affiliated to the same national association, provided that the forming club is affiliated to another national association.

‍b. How to calculate the solidarity mechanism

‍The amount received as a solidarity contribution is equal to 5% of the compensation paid by the new club to the old club under the transfer agreement. Any training allowance should be deducted from the amount in question. The amount of this solidarity contribution is:

• due by the acquiring club to the benefit of the training club (s) that took part in the training and education of the player
• indexed according to the number of years during which the player was registered with his training club (s) from his 12th to his 23rd birthday

If the solidarity contribution is set at 5% of the transfer fee, the calculation is made in consideration of each year of the player's training between his 12th and 23rd birthday, i.e. twelve years of training. In the event that the player has played for the same club throughout his years, his training club will be able to claim an amount equal to 5% of any compensation as part of the transfer operation. However, in the opposite case, namely in the case of training carried out within various clubs, the FIFA Player Transfer Status Regulations provide for a method of calculation allowing:

• on the one hand, to know the amount applicable to each year of training of the player between his 12th and 23rd birthday,
• on the other hand, to distinguish between pre-training years, between the player's 12th and 15th birthday, from the player's formative years, and between the player's 16th and 23rd birthday.

The possible distribution between different clubs that train the player is thus carried out according to the following mechanism:

• During the first four years of the player's training, in other words from the season from his 12th to his 15th birthday, the amount due as a solidarity contribution is 5% of the 5% for each year of training, i.e. for each year of training, 0.25% of the total compensation
• From the player's 16th birthday, the percentage is 10% of the 5% for each year of training, or 0.5% of the total compensation.

c. The methods of payment of the solidarity mechanism

‍The player's new club is responsible for the solidarity contribution for the benefit of the training club (s). He must proceed himself, possibly assisted by his Council, to calculate the amount and the distribution to possible various training clubs. The new club must pay the contribution within a maximum of 30 days from the registration of the player or the payment in case of payment in several installments. In the event of the disappearance of the forming club, the national association of said club is entitled to receive the proportion of the solidarity contribution that would in principle be due to this club.

Finally, in the event of a breach of only the provisions of Annex 5 of the FIFA Player Status and Transfer Regulations (rules mentioned above), the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may impose disciplinary sanctions (article 2.4 of Annex 5 of the FIFA Player Status and Transfer Regulations).