The international footballers union, FIFPro (Fédération Internationale Des Associations de Footballeurs Professionels) will lobby FIFA on behalf of MLS players, who maintain that the league's contract structure violates the rules of soccer's governing body.


This issue is at the heart of the current CBA negotiations, as the players have consistently voiced their displeasure in recent months with Major League Soccer's non-guaranteed contracts, ability to terminate contracts, and lack of free-agency. FIFPro's action now puts the league on notice that sweeping the problem under the rug will not be possible; despite vociferously maintaining that their contracts are FIFA-compliant, MLS now faces a public firestorm.


During Don Garber's State of the League conference call on the Monday prior to the MLS Cup Final, questions regarding the FIFA-compliance of MLS contracts were raised; Garber addressed them directly, claiming that "the players are wrong" in their belief that the league was skirting FIFA rules.


See my post on Garber's State of the League comments and the CBA for details on the FIFA rules in question.


FIFPro's weight is considerable, and the CBA negotiations now take on a new tenor with their approaching of FIFA. While there seemed to be some contentious feelings between MLS and the MLS Players Union, and some players had even raised the possibility of a strike, no overt signs had appeared that the process was not following the standard labor-negotiation path. If FIFA does choose to get involved, or decides to threaten MLS with revocation of their first division status, Don Garber & Co. will find themselves in a difficult position. No longer will the CBA situation be an internal problem, free of outside interference; worse yet, possible changes to the league's standard contracts might facilitate wholesale changes in the way they do business.


What response MLS has to this news will be extremely interesting; fighting FIFA, if the governing body chooses to come down on the league would probably not be a good idea.


*UPDATE* Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl has more on this story, with FIFA responding that they will not interfere in the negotiations between the MLS Players Union and the league, calling it a "domestic matter". As Wahl states, it's a serious blow to the players, who cannot rely on pressure from FIFA to force the league's hand regarding several key issues.