logo
FIFA claims consensus over rest periods but global players union criticise ‘authoritarian' decisions

FIFA claims consensus over rest periods but global players union criticise ‘authoritarian' decisions

New York Times13-07-2025
FIFA has claimed there is a consensus over the need for defined rest periods for players, but FIFPro, the global players' union, was not invited to the meeting where it was reached.
On Sunday, FIFPro's president Sergio Marchi referred to his FIFA counterpart Gianni Infantino as 'the man who thinks he is God', saying that football's world governing body's decision-making process had become 'unilateral' and 'authoritarian'.
Advertisement
Marchi accused FIFA of basing their decisions on the issue 'solely on a logic of economic profitability, not human sustainability', and said the health of players is being overlooked 'to fuel a marketing machine'.
The issue of increased player workload has been a key discussion point in the build-up to the Club World Cup and throughout the expanded tournament in the United States.
FIFA addressed the topic at a meeting held on the eve of the competition's final, which will be played between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday evening.
FIFA says that after discussions with the player unions in attendance that there must be at least 72 hours of rest between matches, and that players should have a rest period of at least 21 days at the end of each season. FIFPro, which has pressured FIFA to address the issue for many years, have been calling for 28 days of rest.
'FIFPRO cannot fail to point out, with absolute clarity, that this competition hides a dangerous disconnect with the true reality experienced by most footballers around the world,' the union's president Marchi said in a statement shared with The Athletic.
'What was presented as a global celebration of football was nothing more than a fiction created by FIFA, promoted by its president, without dialogue, sensitivity, and respect for those who sustain the game with their daily efforts.'
Marchi said that FIFA have 'ignored the reality' of the workload facing players and said the organisation 'continue increasing its revenue at the expense of the players' bodies and health'.
Saturday's meeting also recommended a rest day per week for players, FIFA said in a press release, while long-haul intercontinental trips, and the weather conditions under which matches are played, should be considered when the next international match calendar is mapped out.
Advertisement
Sources with knowledge of the matter indicate that FIFPro were not invited to the meeting and those who were do not represent FIFPro in any capacity. While some in attendance were previously part of FIFPro they have since lost their positions and others, The Athletic has been told, FIFPro do not recognise.
Brazil, Spain, Ukraine, Mexico, Switzerland, Ivory Coast, Latvia, Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic all were represented, The Athletic has been told.
FIFA's release did include several aspects FIFPro has been seeking, but there clearly remains major tensions between the organisations. FIFPro executives, despite not being at the meeting with Infantino, were present in New York City this weekend.
FIFA has been approached for comment.
Established in 1965, FIFPro represents 66,000 professional footballers around the world.
In October of last year, the union teamed up with Europe's domestic leagues to file a formal complaint against world football's governing body over the game's ever-expanding calendar.
'FIFA refuses to listen and engage with the players, the main labour resource of our industry, who are there on the pitch, creating a powerhouse of European and global entertainment culture, and pushing their bodies to the limit,' FIFPro Europe president David Terrier said at the time.
'But we have listened to our players, have received the same messages for a long period of time, that they are playing too much and do not have enough time to recover. Ahead of the worst season ever for workload, many have also decided to talk in public with the same message: enough is enough.'
(Juan Mabromata/AFP via Getty Images)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Treylon Burks injury update: Titans WR fractures collarbone, per reports
Treylon Burks injury update: Titans WR fractures collarbone, per reports

Yahoo

time3 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Treylon Burks injury update: Titans WR fractures collarbone, per reports

Another member of the Tennessee Titans' offense has been injured before the start of preseason action. Wide receiver and former first-round pick Treylon Burks suffered a fractured collarbone during practice on Saturday, according to multiple reports. The news comes less than a week after the Titans announced quarterback Will Levis will miss the 2025 season with a shoulder injury. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport wrote on social media that Burks suffered the injury while making "a sick, diving catch on the sidelines." Burks was set to enter his fourth season with Tennessee in 2025. He missed the final 12 games of last year after tearing his ACL during practice before a Week 7 game with the Buffalo Bills. Now, Burks will miss more time with another injury suffered during a practice session. WILL LEVIS INJURY UPDATE: How surgery impacts Cam Ward, Titans QB depth chart Titans WR depth chart Tennessee made some significant moves this offseason to invest in its wide receivers corps and build around quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. The Titans have signed a total of six free agent receivers this offseason – including one, Matt Landers, earlier this week, as well as UDFA wideout and Ward's former Miami teammate Xavier Restrepo. They also selected two wide receivers in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft: Stanford product Elic Ayomanor and Florida's Chimere Dike. Here's the full list of the Titans' currently rostered wide receivers: Calvin Ridley Van Jefferson Tyler Lockett Treylon Burks Elic Ayomanor Chimere Dike Xavier Restrepo Bryce Oliver Mason Kinsey Jha'Quan Jackson James Proche II Matt Landers TJ Sheffield This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Treylon Burks injury: Titans WR fractures collarbone in practice

TItans WR Treylon Burks reportedly suffers fractured collarbone, expected to miss start of regular season
TItans WR Treylon Burks reportedly suffers fractured collarbone, expected to miss start of regular season

Yahoo

time3 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

TItans WR Treylon Burks reportedly suffers fractured collarbone, expected to miss start of regular season

Tennessee Titans wide receiver reportedly suffered a fractured collarbone during Saturday's practice, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. The 25-year-old wide receiver is undergoing further testing and a definitive timeline is unknown. Burks is expected to miss at least the start of the regular season. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] "Treylon Burks is being evaluated right now for a shoulder injury," Titans head coach Brian Callahan said after practice. "We'll have an update on his status at the appropriate time" Per The Tennessean's Alex Daugherty, Burks suffered the injury after making a diving catch along the sideline from a Cam Ward pass. After he landed, Burks grabbed his shoulder and went to the locker room after a discussion with athletic trainers. Ramel Keyton has been signed following Burks' injury. Keyton played eight games last season with the Las Vegas Raiders Injury-filled start to NFL career for Burks The injury is a tough blow for Burks, who played only five games last season after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair his ACL. The 18th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft has had a difficult start to his NFL career. Burks, who had his fifth-year option declined in April, missed five games in each of his first two seasons and then suffered the ACL injury in 2024. He has one career receiving touchdown and just 53 total receptions in three seasons. Burks' absence takes away a passing option for Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL draft. New Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi made changes to the team's receiver room by signing Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett in free agency, drafting Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor and letting Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Tyler Boyd walk. The Titans ranked 25th in the NFL in total receptions (336) and receiving yards (3,621) last season. The Titans begin the 2025 season at the Denver Broncos.

Vikings, versatile safety Josh Metellus agree to 3-year, $36M extension, AP source says
Vikings, versatile safety Josh Metellus agree to 3-year, $36M extension, AP source says

Yahoo

time3 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Vikings, versatile safety Josh Metellus agree to 3-year, $36M extension, AP source says

The Minnesota Vikings and versatile safety Josh Metellus agreed Saturday on a three-year, $36 million contract extension, according to a person familiar with details of the deal. Metellus, a 2020 sixth-round draft pick out of Michigan, is a key piece of coordinator Brian Flores' defense and has started 27 games the past two seasons while playing in multiple spots. The Vikings announced the extension for Metellus, but didn't provide financial terms. The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because terms weren't announced, said the contract includes $25 million in guaranteed money. Metellus was entering the final year of his deal, so the extension keeps him with the Vikings through 2028. 'Minnesota, I'm here, baby,' a smiling Metellus said at a news conference announcing the deal. 'I love it here. ... This place is home for me.' The 27-year-old Metellus has four career interceptions, five forced fumbles, 2 1/2 sacks and nearly 300 combined tackles in five NFL seasons. "Josh, since he got here has become a program player for us," general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said. 'He embodies the relentlessness and work ethic that we value in this team.' Metellus played primarily on special teams during his first two seasons, but saw an increased role on defense after Kevin O'Connell took over as the Vikings' head coach in 2022. Flores made Metellus a key contributor on defense when he joined O'Connell's staff in 2023, with O'Connell saying Metellus lined up in seven different spots last season. 'I don't like to get into the positions,' Metellus said. 'I just think I'm a damn good football player.' Metellus has also been a team captain for the Vikings. 'Such a vital part of our success on and off the field,' O'Connell said. 'It's hard to imagine them making them any better as a player and person than Josh Metellus. What he means to me, personally, our friendship, our bond we've formed, I'm absolutely thrilled for Josh, his family and Vikings fans that they get to see him for years to come in a role that's become really special to him and how he's attacked it and helped us become what we are defensively.' ___ AP NFL:

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store