Istanbul — Hundreds of Turkish footballers dressed in black gathered outside the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) headquarters in Istanbul to protest new rules that they say threaten their livelihoods.
The peaceful demonstration, organized by the Turkish player union, was sparked by the TFF’s decision to limit fourth-tier clubs to just five players aged 25 or older in their squads starting next season. The rule change could effectively push as many as 1,280 experienced players out of the game, as TFF 3. Lig includes 64 clubs divided across four groups.
The new regulation allows current contracts to be fulfilled but most players in the division are on one-year deals. It also bans clubs from signing foreign players unless they have lived in Türkiye for at least five years.
The union is appealing the decision, which it says was made without proper consultation and violates players’ basic employment rights. Clubs reportedly pushed for the change in a bid to reduce salary costs.
Last month, the TFF participated in a European-level social dialogue meeting with UEFA, FIFPRO Europe, European Leagues, the European Clubs Association, and the Turkish player union to discuss employment conditions. But the controversial new restrictions were imposed unilaterally, bypassing any national-level negotiation with players or their representatives.
FIFPRO Europe President David Terrier expressed strong support for the protesting players:
“We strongly support the Turkish player union’s actions to mobilize players over what is unjust interference in the employment market by employers. It is crucial that these restrictive rules are removed on appeal, and in future the Turkish federation negotiates any changes to employment rules with players and their union.”
The union has pledged to continue its campaign until the federation reverses the decision.