Club World Cup dismissed as a Fifa ‘fiction' by head of players' union

The Guardian

a day ago

The president of Fifpro has described the Club World Cup as a 'fiction' and compared Gianni Infantino to the Roman emperor Nero, as the dispute between the players' union and Fifa continued to escalate.
Sergio Marchi joined the ranks of those critical of Infantino's new tournament, saying a 'lack of protection' for players had left the Club World Cup equivalent to 'bread and circuses'. It is understood Fifpro was not invited to a meeting regarding player welfare held by Infantino in New York on the eve of the final, won 3-0 by Chelsea against Paris Saint-Germain.
Marchi said the Club World Cup was not without its strengths because it had 'generated enthusiasm among numerous fans and allowed some of the world's leading figures to be seen in a single tournament', but he said it did not represent football well.
'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,' he said. '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.
'A grandiloquent staging inevitably reminiscent of the 'bread and circuses' of Nero's Rome, entertainment for the masses while behind the scenes inequality, precariousness and the lack of protection for the true protagonists deepen.'
Those 'true protagonists' are the players, including those of Chelsea and PSG who will start their new league seasons five weeks after the final. Fifpro last month urged Fifa to grant players a four-week rest between seasons. This request has not been taken up, however, with the meeting on Saturday ending with an agreement that three weeks of rest would be sufficient. 'There is a consensus that there must be at least 72 hours of rest between matches, and that players should have a rest period/holiday of at least 21 days at the end of each season,' Fifa said.
Fifpro is part of a group of football bodies, including the Premier League, pursuing legal action against Fifa over an alleged lack of consultation regarding the Club World Cup and changes to the international match calendar more broadly.
Fifa has said it is 'fully within our rights to set the parameters of our competitions whilst respecting the regulatory framework in place', and the prospect of a legal row was described by Infantino as a 'futile'.
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Fifa said there had been agreement at the weekend's meeting that the calendar needed to 'strike the right balance between national team football and club football, on the one hand, and between domestic, continental, and global club competitions, on the other hand'. The Club World Cup is the only global club competition.
Fifa has been approached for comment.