By David Owen
April 12 – FIFA’s player insurance scheme has cranked into action, with payments totalling $18.4 million made to around 20 clubs in the latter part of 2012. The Club Protection Programme (CPP) is designed to compensate clubs when their players are injured on international duty.
FIFA is hoping that the programme, approved at last year’s FIFA Congress in Budapest, will prove “a significant step that will foster the relationship between clubs and national teams”.
Under the scheme, the temporary total disablement of a player hurt in an international match between 1 September 2012 and 31 December 2014 can trigger payments capped at €7.5 million per claim.
The amount insured is the player’s annual fixed salary, with a maximum daily amount of €20,548 for a maximum period of 365 days.
FIFA told Insideworldfootball that between September 1 and the end of last year, 18 clubs had received benefits from the programme.
There had also been “special coverage” for the Olympic football tournament held in London in July and August, with three clubs benefiting.
FIFA declined to name clubs receiving payments, citing “legal constraints”.
While it is not known if the incident triggered a payment, the Great Britain women’s team was one of those hit by injury at the Olympics, with centre-back Ife Dieke of Swedish club Vittsjo GIK suffering a suspected ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
It is, of course, impossible to know at this stage how much the scheme will end up costing FIFA.
The governing body’s recently-published financial report indicates a cost of $18.368 million for 2012.
FIFA has stated that the “overall estimated cost” of CPP is “around $75 million”.
However, the 2014 budget, also published in the recent financial report, includes an amount of $114 million labelled “FIFA Club Protection Programme, etc”.
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