Football TV row threatens Europe

Taylor, who represents English players, has called a strike

By CNN's Simon Hooper

London, England (CNN) -- A row between English footballers and league bosses could spread across Europe, according to FIFPro, the international confederation of players' unions.

Players in the English leagues plan to strike on December 1 in a dispute over TV revenue.

"FIFPro supports the English players 100 percent," FIFPro general secretary Theo van Seggelem told CNN on Wednesday, a day after the strike decision.

In England, the players' union, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), wants five percent of the $780 million shared between the Premier League's 20 clubs. That amounts to $38 million a year.

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"The issue of television rights is in the interests of all players around the world and we've already started talks with (football world governing body) FIFA," added van Seggelem.

"The game is produced by players only. It's a commercial business and we are fighting for our share. It is a matter of principle. It's already been decided that we will fight for TV rights and we are going to coordinate it."

In France, the French players' union (UNFP) already receives a percentage of broadcasting revenue while negotiations are already underway in the Netherlands, Denmark and Italy.

FIFPro is due to discuss the issue at its congress in December, when PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor, who also acts as FIFPro's president, will report back to his international colleagues on the situation in England.

"It's a very big issue for us," says Van Seggelem. "There is full solidarity between players, from the big clubs to the small clubs."

Van Seggelem hopes that players' unions, in England and elsewhere, will be able to negotiate a fair settlement, but warns that players in Spain and Argentina, as well as professional sportsmen in America, have previously taken strike action in defence of their rights.

"It all depends on the situations in other countries. We are interested in using England as an example as it is one of the biggest leagues in the world."

But Ernst Thomann, the managing director of the German players' union (VdV), disagrees with the position of FIFPro and the PFA and argues that German labour laws would prevent a player strike in similar circumstances.

"You cannot compare the situation in Germany with the situation in England," Thomann told CNN. "Collective labour rules mean that it is not possible to go on strike in Germany."

The VdV is the German equivalent of the PFA. It has 923 members, and includes 72 percent of Bundesliga players and 85 percent of the national team among its ranks.

Thomann says its support role, which includes helping players after their careers and providing educational opportunities for its members, is directly modelled on the PFA. Its most recent project has been to improve the system of players' pensions.

"When we developed the VdV the first thing we did was to go to Manchester for talks with the PFA," he says. "I admire their work and I looked only at the PFA. I'm very grateful to Gordon Taylor and his staff for their support."

But, Thomann says the PFA's dispute with the Premier League will never crop up in Germany.

"The VdV is the same as the PFA but with one exception," he explains. "We have never received a fee from TV revenue and that has never been our aim.

"I would happily agree to $38 million a year but for the VdV it is more important to have total independence from the league. We finance ourselves entirely from the player's fees. They pay about DM1,000 ($450) a year."