FOOTBALLERS were urged yesterday not to sign for clubs in Serbia because there is a good chance they will not get paid.

World players’ union Fifpro and the Serbian players’ union SJPF have warned players of severe financial problems in Serbian football, with eight of the 16 teams in the country’s top-flight Superliga unable to pay workers after having their accounts blocked by the Serbian national bank.

“We hate to do this, but it is our job to protect the players,” Fifpro secretary-general Theo van Seggelen said.

“Players haven’t been paid for months and encounter serious financial problems. Clubs are on the verge of going bankrupt.

“On top of that, I received the shocking news that one of the clubs totally disrespects the players’ rights and even allows hooligans to threaten their players.”

Fifpro said players at FK Radnicki 1923 were threatened by fans earlier this month after deciding to go on strike because they had not been paid for three months

The SJPF said there were 115 cases concerning “overdue payables” at the national dispute body.

SJPF president Mirko Poledica said the situation was “alarming” and added: “There are only approximately 500 professional footballers in Serbia.

“We would not be surprised if some of the clubs file for bankruptcy in the near future.

“Therefore we must send a message to all countries and recommend all foreign footballers not to come to Serbia, because there are no guarantees that they will be paid.”

Fifpro said many players at Radnicki, who had not been paid since August, were struggling to pay for food and some had been evicted from their homes.

“There are players who lack the money to buy milk for their children,” Poledica said.

He noted the case of one player who has only received one month’s salary since joining the club.

“He only received €1,000 (£790) in four months, but this is not enough to cover four months’ living expenses. Serbia is an expensive country.”

The SJPF has offered financial support of €200 (£160) to all its members at Radnicki, but Poledica warned that “is not a structural solution. There are more clubs with similar problems, we cannot pay all the players.”