FIFPro anti breakaway Super league but says players should not be banned

November 14 – The international players’ union FIFPro says it will oppose any attempt to ban its members if they take part in an elite-only European Super league even though it says it is against the principle of a breakaway.

Last week FIFA president Gianni Infantino said “either you are in or you are out” and implied that players who compete in any super league could be excluded from the World Cup and other FIFA competitions.

The idea of a breakaway league was rekindled by Der Spiegel which, based on information from the Football Leaks whistleblowing website,  published claims that several of Europe’s biggest clubs had been secretly plotting to form a new closed competition.

Ahead of a meeting today by UEFA’s Professional Football Strategy Council chaired by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and comprising all the major stakeholders, FIFPro said it had  “taken note” of the Football Leaks allegations and believes “they raise serious questions about the governance and regulation of world football”.

“FIFPro supports a united football industry and the benefits of connected competitions.”

“We will however defend the ability of players to represent their country and their right to offer their services to any club. We are strongly opposed to the prospect of these freedoms being limited as a consequence of a fight between competition organisers.”

FIFPro also warned against what it described as the “vanishing” competitive balance within domestic leagues.

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