Gibraltar football clubs refused to release players early for International duty

The Gibraltar senior football national squad departed this Sunday on their way to the first leg of the Nations League League C relegation play-off against Lithuania, the two-legged encounter deciding who will drop into League D. The departure, however, was not without some controversy, as Head Coach Julio Ribas gathered his full 26-man squad for the first time.

Although the Gibraltar National Head Coach and Gibraltar FA had scheduled for preparations to begin earlier in the week, immediately after the last match of the domestic league, this was not to happen. Gibraltar football League clubs united to refuse to release players until the official release time provided by the international governing bodies, the latter of which would oblige them to release the players.

Although officially none of the parties involved have been willing to comment prior to the departure of the squad, it is understood that Football league clubs in Gibraltar indicated their dissatisfaction at players being released early and the league being stopped early, highlighting that other national leagues across Europe had continued playing until this weekend.

The decision by the clubs, however, is a turnaround on a previously agreed arrangement in which clubs had agreed with the Gibraltar FA that they would release players earlier for additional compensation, which is understood to be around £120,000 for the season, distributed among clubs. While the monies have been paid in the past towards the end of the season, clubs are understood to have received this money earlier in the season to coincide with the end of the European qualifier group matches.

Although the league was already agreed to be paused during these past days to assist in the preparations of the national team towards their Nations league play-offs, the club's decision has seen players refused from being allowed to join the National squad training camps scheduled last week. Only players who play outside Gibraltar have attended. Among them are players who joined the squad from sides such as Manchester United, Chesterfield, Derby County, Algeciras, Cadiz, and Zabal, among others. All foreign clubs have agreed to the early release of players to allow for Gibraltar’s crucial preparations.

Although the UEFA deadline for the release of players would have allowed clubs to retain players until Monday, last-minute discussions are understood to have seen agreement in releasing the players for this Sunday, on which players were scheduled to depart to start their preparations abroad in time for Thursday’s first leg match.

The decision to refuse the release of players has seen mixed support, with long-term objectors of the close to ten days of training prior to international matches highlighting that the issues over the release of players have been brewing for some time. However, with the league having come to a stop last weekend, and while no matches were scheduled, with clubs also understood to have stopped training and allowed players time off, players joining the national squad gathered with most not having picked up a ball in close to a week.

The national team assessors are also understood to have raised concerns that they were departing blind with respect to the physical condition of players, without a chance of having assessed them prior to departure due to the ongoing dispute. The decision has also raised questions over the future of the agreement which had seen players released early, with sources close to the Gibraltar FA indicating that if the agreement is not going to be maintained then future payments of the £120,000 would not be required to be made. Some observers indicate this being a possible negative financial impact for some clubs where the monies have assisted in supporting clubs financially.

The decision also affected the preparations for the Under 21s, with players also not released to join the squad until the actual deadline provided by UEFA/FIFA. Gibraltar selectors announced the final squad leaving to play against Lithuania on Friday. There were some surprises among the players named, with James Scanlon, Jaiden Bartolo, Tayler Carrington, Neils Hartman, Liam Jessop, and Kai Mauro all joining the squad. All the players presently playing abroad have been released by their respective clubs.

The young players are seen as some of the new generation of players entering what is a squad transitioning into a new era, with some of the older faces in the squad now seen as within the latter days of their careers. The play-offs are seen as one of the biggest games in Gibraltar’s football history in which Gibraltar could stamp its mark by remaining in League C if it were to be successful. Akin to a cup final, the play-off will have not only a significant role to play in how Gibraltar is seen on the international stage, but it will also impact the economics of the sport, with presence in League C securing a higher payoff due to its media rights and higher prestige than League C, also providing greater exposure for Gibraltar players.

The latest campaign in the Nations League is also seen as likely one of the last campaigns in which players such as Roy Chipolina, Joseph Chipolina, Liam Walker, and Lee Casciaro might be playing together, with observers pointing out that their reduced time on the field in the domestic league will eventually see the new generation of players stamping their mark to claim positions within the first eleven. Excluding these players, the 26-man squad heading into the playoffs has a young age with its average age in and around the mid-twenties. This provides optimism for the future as a new generation of players starts to emerge. Some, including the likes of Dayle Coleing, Tjay De Barr, Jayce Olivero, Louie Annesely, Bernardo Lope, and Kian Ronan, have already had experience playing abroad.
The squad was to see Adam Achhoud added at the final minute with Javan Peacock called up into the Under 21s.