December 19 – The world players’ union Fifpro has slammed FIFA’s plan to launch a 32-team Club World Cup in 2025, saying it could have “serious consequences” for the players.
The expansion of the current format was due to start in 2021 in China but was scuppered by the Covid pandemic
The current competition features just seven clubs and is made up of the winners of each confederation’s top flight. But Gianni Infantino announced after the FIFA Council meeting on Friday that the expansion would end up being the club equivalent of the World Cup.
Fifpro say trying to fit it into the already congested calendar is a big mistake “that could have serious consequences for and aggravate pressure on the welfare and employment of players.”
It also accused FIFA of reneging on a deal to consult.
“Despite an understanding Fifpro reached with FIFA last week that a joint negotiation of the international match calendar (IMC) would take place before the FIFA Congress in March 2023, these decisions were taken unilaterally without seriously consulting, let alone agreeing, with the players,” said a Fifpro statement.
“Once again, decisions to scale competitions without implementing appropriate safeguards are short-sighted and pay no attention to players’ health and performance.
‘This decision once more shows that key stakeholders of the game are not being appropriately involved in decision-making of football, even when it concerns the core of their fundamental rights.”
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