FIFA criticized

The French Professional Footballers' Union (UNFP) has just issued an official statement opposing the organization of the FIFA Club World Cup, and strongly criticized FIFA and President Gianni Infantino for disregarding the physical and mental health of players.

The Club World Cup is being criticised for exhausting players.

The organisation believes that the current schedule is stretched to an absurd extent, leaving players exhausted. In a statement full of indignation, UNFP asserted: “The absurdity of the current situation is obvious to everyone, except Mr Infantino and those around him. Organizing the Club World Cup in this context shows the urgency of the need to stop the destruction of players’ health.”

The UNFP says the international and club calendars are becoming unmanageable, citing the fact that Paris Saint-Germain will play their 62nd match of the season this weekend, while many other Ligue 1 clubs have already started training for the new season. If PSG progress in the Club World Cup – with the final taking place on July 13 in New York – that could be 65 matches in just over 11 months.

UNFP questioned the minimum rest period for players: “Most agreements stipulate a three-week break between seasons, so how can that be guaranteed if the fixtures are pushed to mid-July?”

They stressed that players need to be guaranteed the right to rest and recovery, especially after an unprecedentedly long and stressful season.

The organisation also expressed concern that coaches, from club level like Luis Enrique to national team level like Didier Deschamps, will not have enough time to prepare for the new season or important international tournaments, if FIFA continues to push the competition schedule at the current density.

“FIFA is putting profit above all else, regardless of the negative impact on the health and performance of players,” UNFP concluded. “Adding more tournaments to an already overloaded schedule not only depletes players’ physical fitness, but also directly affects the quality of football.”

While not specifying specific next actions, UNFP called on FIFA and relevant parties to seriously review the global match calendar, ensuring that the human element is properly placed in the professional football ecosystem.

Source: https://znews.vn/fifa-bi-chi-trich-post1564957.html