For decades, African football academies have been the invisible backbone of the global game. They identify raw talent in dusty pitches, nurture it with scarce resources, and then watch as those players move on to professional contracts in Europe, Asia, or the Middle East. Yet, when it comes to financial recognition, many of these academies are left empty-handed. The irony is that FIFA’s regulations already provide for them to be paid — through solidarity contributions and training compensation. The proble…
What Are Solidarity Contributions?
According to FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP, Article 21), whenever a player is transferred between clubs belonging to different national associations before the expiry of their contract, up to 5% of the transfer fee must be set aside and distributed to all clubs that trained the player between the ages of 12 and 23. This is known as the solidarity contribution. For example, if a player is sold for €10 million, €500,000 must be shared among his former academies and clubs.
The aim is simple: to ensure that the grassroots institutions that developed the player share in the financial benefits of his success. Yet many African academies have never seen a cent from this mechanism.
What About Training Compensation?
Training compensation, on the other hand, applies when a player signs his first professional contract or is transferred internationally before the end of the season of his 23rd birthday (RSTP, Articles 20 and Annex 4). The buying club must pay a fee to the clubs that trained the player between ages 12 and 21. FIFA publishes annual “training cost categories” for clubs in each country, which determine how much is due per year of training.
This is particularly relevant for African academies because many of their graduates leave for European clubs as teenagers or early professionals. In principle, those academies should be entitled to a financial return each time.
Why African Academies Miss Out
Despite these clear provisions, African academies often miss out on millions in potential revenue. The reasons include:
– Lack of player registration records: Many academies fail to ensure their players are properly registered with national associations, making it difficult to prove years of training.
– Ignorance of the regulations: Some academies do not even know solidarity and training compensation exist.
– Poor legal follow-up: Even when aware, they lack the legal expertise to lodge claims before FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC).
– Player agency issues: Once a player leaves, academies often lose contact, making it harder to track transfers.
According to a 2021 FIFA report, over $80 million in solidarity contributions were distributed globally in 2020, but less than 1% went to African academies — a shocking disparity considering Africa’s role as a talent exporter.
How the Recovery Process Works
When an academy discovers that its former player has been transferred, it can submit a claim for solidarity or training compensation. The process generally involves:
1. Reaching out to a Lawyer: The Lawyer provides information and guidance of the process on what Player registration forms, match records, and academy registration with the national federation.
2. Filing through the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS): All international transfers must be recorded here. Academies (through their associations) can access relevant information.
3. Lodging a claim before the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC): This is the body empowered to adjudicate disputes about solidarity and training compensation.
4. Enforcement: FIFA can sanction defaulting clubs with transfer bans or fines if they fail to pay.
While the procedure is technical, successful claims can transform an academy’s finances. A single high-profile transfer could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Practical Examples
– When Sadio Mané moved from Southampton to Liverpool in 2016 for around £34 million, his childhood club Génération Foot in Senegal was entitled to a slice of the solidarity contribution.
– The same applied when Kalidou Koulibaly transferred from Napoli to Chelsea in 2022. His youth clubs in France benefited from solidarity.
African academies could unlock similar windfalls if they tightened their administrative and legal frameworks.
Common Questions Asked (Answered Simply)
Q: What if the player never signed a professional contract until moving abroad?
A: Training compensation still applies. The first professional contract triggers payments to the clubs that trained him between ages 12 and 21.
Q: Can academies claim money many years after the transfer?
A: Yes, but claims are subject to a two-year time limit under FIFA’s statutes once the academy becomes aware (or should have been aware) of the transfer. Acting quickly is essential.
Q: What if the player was not officially registered with the federation?
A: That makes it very difficult. Registration is the legal proof FIFA uses. This is why academies must register every player, no matter how informal the arrangement feels.
Q: Do domestic transfers also trigger solidarity contributions?
A: Only when they involve clubs from different national associations. A player moving between two Nigerian clubs, for example, would not trigger solidarity — unless later sold abroad.
Practical Checklist for Academies
– Reach out to a lawyer
– Register all players officially with your national association.
– Keep detailed training records (dates, teams, age categories).
– Monitor former players’ careers — especially international transfers.
– Build relationships with agents and associations to get early alerts.
– Be prepared to engage legal counsel familiar with FIFA DRC procedures.
Conclusion
Solidarity contributions and training compensation are not gifts; they are legal entitlements designed to protect academies and reward their role in developing global stars. For African academies, recovering these funds could be the difference between survival and collapse, between running on shoestring budgets and reinvesting in new generations of talent. The money is out there — but it must be claimed with diligence, proof, and persistence.
If you run an academy or work with one and want to know how to recover forgotten solidarity payments or training compensation, feel free to reach out to me at ajojeisrael@africancoachesconnect.com for guidance, representation, and practical support.
By
Adedeji-Ajoje Israel Femisi
International Sports Lawyer|| FIFA Licensed Agent
Executive Director of Operations
African Coaches Connect