March 10 – Player unions from across the Asia-Pacific gathered in Sydney this week for the annual FIFPRO Asia/Oceania General Assembly, with the message from the room clear – football’s growth in the region will depend on genuine partnerships between players, federations and governing bodies.
Hosted alongside Professional Footballers Australia, FIFPRO say the meeting brought together representatives from the region’s 10 member unions as well as observers, administrators and senior figures from the global players’ union network.
Held in tandem with the AFC Women’s Asian Cup currently rolling out across the country, the gathering focused heavily on the rapid rise of the women’s game across Asia and Oceania – and the structural gaps that still exist.
FIFPRO Asia/Oceania secretary general Shoko Tsuji said the region’s players are increasingly ready to take a seat at the table.
“Across the past 12 months, FIFPRO Asia/Oceania has continued to make important progress in supporting and representing thousands of professional footballers across a diverse and complex region,” she said.
“Despite challenges, Asia and Oceania’s players are prepared to engage actively as partners in the game’s governance. To address many of the challenges players face, we need an ecosystem that views each stakeholder as interconnected and central to the overall game’s success.
“Women’s football is the fastest-growing frontier in Asia and Oceania. However, the gap in standards remains wide, with many of the players in this tournament earning less than USD 30,000 annually and fewer than 40 percent being full-time professionals.
“We firmly believe the Women’s Asian Cup, which continues to break and set new records, represents a crucial opportunity to transform the game throughout this region, but that can only be achieved through a genuine partnership with the AFC.”
FIFPRO have released that recent player-driven initiatives presented at the assembly included a pre-tournament research report outlining the commercial opportunity of the Women’s Asian Cup, backed by a letter signed by players from seven of the 12 competing teams inviting the Asian Football Confederation into deeper collaboration.
Other initiatives ranged from player support programmes and a player-voted Team of the Tournament for the competition to support for Indian footballers during the country’s recent league crisis. The regional body has also strengthened ties with FIFPRO Africa and expanded representation on the global players’ council.
President Beau Busch said: “FIFPRO Asia/Oceania remains focused on building the capacity of player associations across this region and the pursuit of strategic partnerships with the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania Football Confederation.
“By establishing effective partnerships, we can better safeguard players’ interests, promote a sustainable football ecosystem and create growth opportunities. This General Assembly has served to further illustrate the challenges facing our industry, and the immense opportunities, which we are determined to play a proactive role in realising.”
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected].
