A subject that without a doubt no one likes to think about – when anyone dies it is sad, though this is something that isn’t expected in the world of sport, especially fit athletes.
Tragically, over the last few years deaths in sport – especially football have occured too often – there are some that we don’t even hear about and the causes can be completely unexpected.
You just don’t expect footballers – who in today’s game are the picture of health to have an underlying health issue for example but, following investigations into a couple of deaths, this has often been the cause.
Other fatalities have been the cause of tragic accidents – Emiliano Sara being a prime example mid-flight as the player was on his way from Nantes to complete his move to Cardiff City.
Most recently, one that shook the footballing world was the absolutely awful news that Liverpool’s Diogo Jota – a Portugal international had died along with his brother in a car accident – merely days after his wedding and a couple of months after winning the Premier League title. It got us wondering though – do football clubs have insurance if one of their players dies?
What Are The Details?
Certainly for professional clubs, insurance policies are typically in place if one of their players dies, with these policies generally being a broader part of a player’s insurance package and there are specialist firms that do offer this.
It is usually the case that clubs take out life insurance policies on high-value players. This helps to compensate for loss of potential transfer value, commercial revenue packages, future wage commitments plus emotional and operational disruption.
For elite players, there is AD&D (Accidental Death and Dismemberment) insurance, which covers accidental death, such as during training, during a match or travel. Depending on a player’s contract, it could also be the case that a club needs to cover some of the wages or settle any outstanding financial commitments.
Also, it is quite common for many clubs to take out insurance on a player based on their market value to help to offset the loss of such a big investment.
In addition, for national teams, it is usual for FIFA and UEFA to provide insurance for players while on international duty.
Why Is Insurance So Important?
For a club that spends significant amounts on a player in transfer fees – and then wages, having player insurance is fundamental. Of course, no one likes to imagine that situation, though of course it is a sensible form of action for a football club to take.
This is especially the case for investors – who perhaps, may have been relying on the success that a particular player may bring to a club, translating to trophies and ultimately a return on investment or considerable dividend payouts.
Football can be a fickle business, but the fact is, that it is a business – that’s cold, hard truth – though, it is always sickening when the unimaginable happens. Despite having the practical safeguard of insurance in place, you just cannot plan for what is the completely unexpected.