FIFPRO not invited to FIFA’s player welfare summit

Global players’ union FIFPRO was excluded from a meeting in New York between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and players’ groups, according to ESPN. 

FIFA released a statement on Sunday that a consensus was reached with the players’ unions on a mandatory 72-hour minimum gap between matches and a three-week rest period in the close season. 

However, FIFPRO and the UK-based Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) were not represented at the meeting and had no role in the talks that led to the FIFA announcement. 

Infantino was pictured with union officials from all over the world, but most of them were part of organisations expelled from FIFPRO. 

The staging of the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup in the United States has raised fresh concerns regarding player welfare, with FIFPRO issuing a series of demands about the players’ wellbeing. 

The players’ union president Sergio Marchi criticised Infantino for making decisions without dialogue, sensitivity and respect for the players. 

He said: “The recent Club World Cup generated enthusiasm among numerous fans and allowed some of the world’s leading figures to be seen in a single tournament.

“However, FIFPRO cannot fail to point out, with absolute clarity, that this competition hides a dangerous disconnect with the true reality experienced by most footballers around the world.

“What was presented as a global celebration of football was nothing more than a fiction created by FIFA, promoted by its president, without dialogue, sensitivity and respect for those who sustain the game with their daily efforts.”

The Club World Cup was also criticised due to players being forced to play in extreme weather conditions. 

Temperatures soared past 35°C during Chelsea’s semi-final against Fluminense, with midfielder Enzo Fernandez describing the conditions as ‘very dangerous’. 

The Blues’ final against Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday was played in 30°C temperatures at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.