PFAI secretary sees problems with salary capping

Beginning in 2008, eircom League of Ireland clubs are restricted to a wages-to-turnover ratio of 65 percent, but Stephen McGuiness, acting general secretary of the Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland (PFAI), thinks that the capping of players' wages could create an environment for under the- table payments.

McGuiness is not convinced of the merits of salary capping, which has its origins in the White Paper on the Strategic Direction of the eircom League by Genesis, a strategic management consulting group.

"I feel salary capping, when it is introduced, could drive payments under-the-table," said McGuiness to Soccer Investor.

"If clubs were to pay their players legitimately, they may not be able to afford it. The alternative is under-the-table payments. What we (the PFAI) do not want to see is any of our members ever to be in a position where they are offered such payments.

McGuiness also sees some problems when the new stipulation is introduced next year.

"Clubs currently have players on two or three year contracts," McGuiness said. "I don't believe that clubs are that meticulous in terms of their forward planning that they have taken the 65 per cap into consideration.

"This leads me to believe that come next year they will struggle to be fully compliant."

McGuiness thinks that capping will encourage the eircom League's highest earners to seek employment abroad.

"Nobody's going to take a risk in becoming a professional footballer in this country if the maximum a player can earn is EUR 500 or EUR 600 because of this stipulation," he said.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.