West Ham United will be financially compensated following the injury suffered by Tomas Soucek during Czech Republic’s short-lived World Cup campaign.
But how much compensation are the Hammers set to receive? Well, that depends on a few factors.
In an emotional Instagram post, Soucek reflected upon the first ‘serious injury’ of his professional career. West Ham United’s number 28 would not confirm exactly how long he is out for, but Tomas Soucek did admit that he could be stuck on the sidelines for ‘months’ in what would be a worst-case scenario.
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According to sports medicine specialist Dr Funmi Salawu, speaking to FourFourTwo, an ankle ligament injury can take between a couple of weeks to three long months to recover from.
So only after Soucek makes his return to the field will we know exactly how much the Hammers are due to receive from FIFA.
West Ham United could bank over £400k from FIFA following Tomas Soucek’s injury
Through their Club Protection Programme, FIFA are committed to compensating clubs whose players have sustained an injury on national team duty.
The maximum fee stands at £6.4 million. The programme also covers a player’s salary for up to a full calendar year, from an initial waiting period of 28 days.
If Soucek’s ankle issue keeps him out for three months this – coupled with his wages that are due to be halved from around £100,000-a-week to around £50,000-a-week following relegation – means West Ham will receive just shy of £430,000 from FIFA.
Football’s governing body would be responsible for Soucek’s wages from the 23rd of July to the 23rd of September.
West Ham’s Championship fixture list was revealed recently. If indeed his ankle injury is as serious as feared, Soucek may be targeting the international break in late-September/early-October as a realistic return date.
He could therefore miss the club’s first eight Championship matches before making a comeback in the London derby with QPR on October 10th.
Soucek ends any uncertainty over his London Stadium future
Soucek opened the door to a fresh start away from East London ahead of the World Cup. Italy, he admitted, was a very tempting destination. However, the former Slavia Prague captain has since committed his future to the club he has represented for the best part of a decade.
“This isn’t how I imagined ending the season,” he wrote on social media. “Not with West Ham. Not with the Czech Republic. And certainly not with an injury.
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“The good thing about football is that there’s always another challenge waiting. A new season is almost here, bringing a new opportunity to put things right.
“For 12 years as a professional, I’ve been lucky enough to avoid a serious injury. Now I have to face a challenge I haven’t faced before. But everyone who knows me knows one thing. I never give up!
“This injury doesn’t change my mindset. If anything, it makes me even more determined. I’ll use these next few weeks/months to work, recover and come back stronger. As a player, as a teammate and as a person.
“Since the season ended, I’ve only had one thing on my mind. West Ham United. This club means so much to me and I’m ready to do everything I can in helping get it back to where it belongs; to the English Premier League.
“For the immediate future, I’ll support the boys off the pitch whilst I rehabilitate. Then once back, I’ll give everything I have on the pitch, fighting alongside the boys once again.”
Pavel Nedved, the general manager of the Czech national team, admitted that Soucek’s injury looked worse on the TV cameras than it was in reality. There were initial fears that the 31-year-old had ruptured his ACL.
Damage to his ankle ligaments, rather than his knee ligaments, means that Soucek faces a potential three-month lay-off compared to the nightmare scenario of a nine-month absence.
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