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Flouting of transfer and contract rules highlights ugly side of beautiful game

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The development of soccer is being stunted by the Chinese Football Association's refusal to follow international guidelines governing transfers and contracts, according to the leading international organisation protecting players' rights.

The Asian branch of FIFPro also claims the poor treatment of Chinese players fosters a poor attitude that blights both the domestic and international game.

'We see the poor conditions for Chinese players as an urgent issue to be resolved,' FIFPro Asia chairman Brendan Schwab says. 'We see it as a tragedy for Asia, because we are dealing with potentially the biggest footballing nation in the region, which cannot get past the first phase of qualifying for the World Cup.'

Schwab is locked in talks with soccer authorities to end China's draconian transfer rules and help set up a 'voice for players'.

He says: 'We are trying to get the CFA to implement a minimum contract standard and a transfer system that complies with international standards at the domestic level.

'Under present rules, players who want to move are banned from playing for another club for up to 30 months, which results in fitness problems, unemployment and a premature end to careers.

'When the CFA opened the transfer window at the end of June, 121 players from 29 clubs were listed for transfer, while 13others were listed as available for loan. A majority of them, if not all, are fringe players who haven't played first-team football for a long time because of the transfer rules,' says David Yang, from the China Sports Review.

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