Geneva, Soccer clubs around the world were invited by FIFA on Tuesday to apply for money from a fund of $209 million set aside for teams that release players for this year’s World Cup in Qatar.
Clubs get paid a daily rate — which FIFA estimates at about $10,000 — for as long as 832 players selected for the 32 rosters are on national team duty ahead of and during the tournament, reports AP.
The preparation period starts Nov. 14 and the tournament ends on Dec. 18. The $209 million fund, agreed to by FIFA and the European Club Association in 2015, also rewards clubs who helped develop World Cup players.
Each player’s share of the fund is distributed among the clubs he played for in the past two years.
FIFA said more than 400 clubs playing in 63 different member countries were paid shares from the $209 million fund allocated from the 2018 World Cup commercial revenues.
The “Club Benefits Program” was created in a 2008 deal for FIFA to recognize the newly launched ECA as a more democratic representative of teams’ interests.
Source: Bahrain News Agency