Man City play their first UEFA Cup group game this Thursday against Steve McClaren’s FC Twente. See all the BestPrice betting here.

FIFA have dismissed a claim by FIFPro that they were stalling Stephen Appiah’s career due to “administrative slowness”.

The Ghana midfielder is currently without a club after terminating his contract with Fenerbahce in April.

FIFPro, the worldwide players’ association, believes FIFA red tape has prevented him signing for a new club, although the game’s governing body deny this.

FIFPro secretary general Stephane Burchkalter said on October 30: “When confronted with administrative slowness which they do not understand and which they will eventually stop accepting in light of the athletic and professional penalties that come as a result, will the players not one day soon be more likely to bring their disputes to civil tribunals instead of taking them to sports judicial bodies?

“Does FIFA understand all the risks involved? Does FIFA understand the increasingly delicate position in which national players’ unions and FIFPro find themselves, after having always encouraged professional players to take their grievances to FIFA’s judicial body and now facing increasing, and daily, discontent from their members who feel forgotten, or even abandoned?”

FIFA responded with a statement which read: “The article published on the FIFPro website regarding the case of Stephen Appiah and Fenerbahce draws incorrect conclusions.

“It is false that FIFA’s supposed “administrative slowness” is hindering the player from signing a new contract with another club. In fact, neither the player nor a potential new club have presented to FIFA any request to allow the player to play for a new club.

“Therefore, clearly FIFA is not hindering the player from signing for a new club.”

Appiah has recovered from a serious knee injury and is available on a free transfer.

Man City play their first UEFA Cup group game this Thursday against Steve McClaren’s FC Twente. See all the BestPrice betting here.