England’s Professional Footballers’ Association has warned FIFA that players may strike in an effort to reduce the amount of matches they play.
Football’s world governing body is under increasing pressure to handle elite players’ workloads, with legal action looming.
The PFA wants action to change the congested football calendar, particularly with the increased 32-team Club World Cup mooted for next summer.
The PFA and FIFPRO, the international players’ union, held a gathering in London on Thursday and heard that players were at “breaking point”.
Maheta Molango, PFA chief executive, remembered a recent chat he had with players from an undisclosed team.
“How far would you like to go?” Molango told the BBC that he had asked the players.
“Some of them said, ‘I’m not having it. We may as well strike.”
“Some asked, ‘What’s the point? “Yes, I am a millionaire, but I don’t even have time to spend money.”
Molango continued: “We have reached a point where we cannot discount any action.”
According to Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO’s head of policy, the results of the yearly player workload review are “staggering”.
He cautioned that it would only go up next season.
Bielefeld said:
“We are ahead of the worst season in terms of new fixture calendar, with the new Uefa Champions League format kicking in and also the (expanded) Club World Cup entering the calendar.
“There is the ability to more evenly attribute workload and matches amongst players and also amongst young talent.
“We do not do it because the pressure — I think on everyone — is so high, even if medical staff advise the coach not to play the player or to sit him out. The pressure on the coaches and the player is so high that they will play anyway.”
Also Read:
FG, reverse the 50 per cent revenue deduction on our agency, NAMA urges
We’ve secured 3,175 convictions, recovered N156bn in one year — EFCC
We arrest 31,912 suspects over criminal offences in one year — Police
FIFA was already threatened with legal action if the 2025 Club World Cup was not rescheduled.
The World Leagues’ Association and FIFPRO recently wrote a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, stating that football’s global schedule has reached “beyond saturation.”
FIFA responded that it would ensure player welfare through “harmonious” scheduling.
The football schedule will increase once again next season, with the Champions League and Europa League each having eight first-phase games, up from six this season.
The Champions League, Europa League, and UEFA Conference League will each be expanded to 36 clubs.
cc: Vanguard Ng
