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Berne - European clubs have said a decision by the world players' union FIFPro to break off talks over the reform of the transfer system is regrettable and disrespectful.
FIFPro said on Friday that negotiations had ground to a halt after representatives from the European clubs and leagues rejected demands to protect players who were not paid on time, or had their contracts unjustly terminated.
FIFPro added it would take legal action to restore players' rights which it said had been impeded by "football's fundamentally flawed player transfer system."
"The European Clubs Association (ECA) does not understand FIFPro's sudden change in tone, which is regrettable and disrespectful," ECA said in a statement.
"ECA and EPFL (the Association of European Professional Leagues) would like to stress that they have always been committed to an open and fair dialogue within the appropriate institutional framework.
"Over the last couple of years, a lot has been achieved in different committees and working groups at UEFA and FIFA level involving all stakeholders, which in many cases has led to some concrete positive results for players as well."
ECA said progress had included the signing of an agreement on minimum requirements for player contracts and the implementation of rules for overdue payables.
FIFPpro said last week that the clubs and leagues had failed to accept four key proposals to ensure contractual stability.
These included a proposal to allow a player to terminate his contract at 10 days' notice if he is unpaid for more than 30 days, and another entitling the player to financial compensation if his contract is terminated without just cause.
