The League Management Company (LMC) on Friday said clubs indebted to players would not be registered for the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) in the forthcoming season.
LMC, in a statement by its Chairman, Nduka Irabor, said a “no pay, no play’’ policy would be adopted in the registration process.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the development was against the backdrop of protests and threats of strike by players of some NPFL clubs.
LMC warned that clubs found to be in breach of financial obligations to players would not be registered for the 2014/15 Glo Premier League season.
It said clubs seeking registration should provide proof that they were not indebted to their players.
“The zero tolerance for clubs’ indebtedness to players will cover current and former players of the clubs as a measure to check strife between players and clubs,’’ the statement quoted Irabor as saying.
It said LMC had in a recent communication to club managers and owners reminded them that compliance with the financial criteria is a fundamental requirement for club registration.
The company said the mandatory compliance with licensing regulations have already been reiterated as a compulsory requirement by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The statement explained that CAF had warned that clubs which were not licensed would not be registered to compete in its inter-club competitions.
It further said CAF’s position was a further reason why the LMC harped on the issue of players’ welfare as a fundamental requirement under its club licensing regulations.
NAN reports that CAF had recently reminded clubs through the national federations that the enforcement of licensing conditions had become mandatory from Dec. 1, 2014.