The best time to contact the club is at the end of the season or after the season. This is the time when most of the clubs starts to make plans for the upcoming season. Nor is the exception to search for new players during the ongoing season, as some of the players might be injured or the teams need to strengthen before the playoffs.
If the club contacts you or your agent and you get to the conditions, it is essential to ask the right questions to find out what the clubs offers you and what will your contract contain or more precisely, what do you want it to contain. Before signing the sports contract, it is important to read it properly and if you do not understand, get it translated or just add what you think is missing.
The contract starts to be valid after the signing of both sides, and therefore it is too late to make any changes. Either you or your agent won´t do much after the signings. The best thing would be to let the agent take care of that, probably he has more experience than you.
If you want to check the contract here is an advice what the contract should include:
The correct name of the club represented by the person who will sign the contract, most of the time it is President of the Club (there needs to be a name of the person who is responsible for signing the contracts and is responsible to solve the situation during the term of the contract).
Date since and until the contract is valid.
An important part is also whether a club is asking for the compensation or not when the contract expires, you should be careful and if possible try to be a free agent after the contract. If the compensation has to be, try to be able to pay it for yourself, or if a club that will be interested in you is willing to pay the amount. Determine a fair amount appropriate to your game quality and real performance class.
Most of the time the compensation is what the club have put into and your previous club receives it from your future club.
It can contain, that you will be able to go out on host during the season, if you would ever or didn’t play enough, if it is possible and under what conditions. Again you should deal real amounts, so you wouldn´t have a problem with improving however warming up the bench will not bring you improvement in your career.
Except your agreed monthly wage it is important to set the date of your wage. It can be the first day of the month, 15th or the last day of the month. Countries with which you don’t have enough experience or you don´t believe that they could ever pay you, is the best to receive the paycheck 2 or 3 months ahead. (Be aware that most of the clubs will not be willing to undergo this exception.)
The agent should be able to include in the contract that if the club is late with paycheck 14 working days, you have the right to cancel the contract without any sanctions and be a free agent.
Another important thing is a accommodation. You need to make a deal in advance whether you will live in a hotel, in that case you should be also provided with the meal, because you don´t have the opportunity to cook. (This is only true for some countries.) In most of the cases they will ensure you an apartment. Find out whether you will have it for yourself, or you will share it with your teammates. Apartment should be ready before the season starts and your arrival to the club. The best is to come and see it before the season. If it is not possible because of the distance, they should be able to send you at least pictures of your apartment and the surrounding you will live in. It is necessary to determine who will pay all the expenses related to apartment (electricity, water, gas, telephone, internet, TV). Determine how will they solve your meals, it should be agreed precisely whether the club will provide meals, how many times a day and in what form. Thus, if it will be ensured in a restaurant or you get an extra money on your paycheck.
Solve the question of insurance in case of injury during the training, match, if the club will cover your medication long term or short term.
Do not forget the obligatory taxes, whether they will be handled internally or in your club.
Nice complement in the contract are special rewards for winning games – paid at the end of each month, award for winning the Championships or the cup. The date when will you get paid for awards. (For example, within the two weeks after the League)
Solve the transit to the country in which you will be playing, thus refund for the flight tickets. You should do that before the season and after the season or during the holidays (Christmas, New Years Eve).
If your apartment or a hotel is placed pretty far away from the gym in which you will train, make a deal on the transport, whether the club will offer you a car just for yourself or together with your teammates, or you will have a different transport.
Last but not least, consult with your agent what else should be included in the contract and under what conditions.
Remember that the contract between both sides is a both sided agreement. It’s about how to determine your terms and the club is not always willing to accept everything what you require, make a good consideration of what you are willing to abandon and you are willing to do to adapt. . Everything is about a proper communication and partly willingness to adjust. Only like that the cooperation will work well and you will get the opportunity to move forward in your career, to acquire new skills and get valuable advice.
Good luck in your athletic career.
