FIFA Encourages Youth Programs With First Payment To Amateur Club

A French amateur football club received a 159,990 euro paycheck from the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) for its successful youth program, the world football governing body announced.

SC Malesherbois became the first recipient of payment by the FIFA Clearing House (FCH) on Monday as one of its players was signed recently by a top European club, reports Xinhua.

The anonymous player was trained in Malesherbois as an amateur between the ages of 12 and 15.

"It was a fully automated process, in which we just had to follow the instructions provided by the FIFA Clearing House," SC Malesherbois President Emmanuel Esnault was quoted as saying by FIFA. "We didn't have to claim our training rewards, which is a real improvement for a small club like us."

"This initial payment made to SC Malesherbois is a clear example of the extent to which the FIFA Clearing House will benefit the whole football pyramid in a fair and efficient way while bringing more integrity to the transfer system as part of the holistic reform implemented by FIFA in the past years," said FIFA Chief Legal and Compliance Officer Emilio Garcia Silvero.