Latest news with #SergioMarchi
Morocco World
4 days ago
- Sport
- Morocco World
Fifpro Blasts FIFA, Compares Infantino to Nero
FIFA is facing strong criticism from the global players' union, FIFPro, after it was excluded from a key meeting on player welfare held by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The meeting took place in New York on Saturday, ahead of the Club World Cup final. FIFA said there was 'consensus' among participants that players should get at least 72 hours of rest between matches and a minimum 21-day break at the end of each season. However, BBC Sport has been told that no representatives from Fifpro, which represents 66,000 players, or the Professional Footballers' Association were present. FIFA described the talks as 'productive' and said they involved 'several player unions from around the world'. But Fifpro said it was not invited and questioned the identity of some people shown in a photograph released by Fifa. In a statement, Fifpro president Sergio Marchi criticised the process and said the tournament had been staged 'without dialogue, without sensitivity and without respect' for players. He added: 'What was presented as a global festival of football was nothing more than a fiction staged by Fifa, driven by its president… A grandiloquent staging that inevitably recalls the 'bread and circuses' of Nero's Rome.' Marchi also warned about extreme heat during the competition: 'The tournament also took place under unacceptable conditions, with matches being played in extremely hot weather and at temperatures that put the physical integrity of the players at risk. This situation must not only be denounced, but must also be strongly condemned.' Fifpro said it has repeatedly warned Fifa about the intense match calendar and lack of proper rest for players. Last month, it published a report calling for a four-week off-season – longer than the 21-day break agreed at the meeting. Fifa said on Sunday that rest days, long-haul travel, and weather conditions should be considered in the future international match calendar. It also said there was agreement on 'striking the right balance' between national and club football. Infantino called the Club World Cup 'the most successful' in history, declaring: 'The golden era of global club football has started.' Fifpro disagrees. In a separate statement, it said: 'This competition hides a dangerous disconnect with the true reality experienced by most footballers around the world… a fiction created by Fifa, promoted by its president.' It also accused Fifa of acting unilaterally and prioritising profit: 'This way of organising tournaments… is unilateral, authoritarian and based solely on a logic of economic profitability, not human sustainability.' The Club World Cup final between Chelsea and PSG was held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday and ended with the London-based club lifting the first edition of the expanded competition. Tags: Club World CupFIFAFIfproGianni Infantino
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Club World Cup dismissed as a Fifa ‘fiction' by head of players' union
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'. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 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.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Fifa hailing of Club World Cup 'a fiction' says player union
Fifa's hailing of its Club World Cup has been labelled "nothing more than a fiction" by the president of leading players' global union a scathing statement, Sergio Marchi appeared to compare the world governing body's president Gianni Infantino to the Roman emperor he also claimed Fifa "chose to continue increasing its revenue at the expense of the players' bodies and health".It comes after BBC Sport learned that Fifpro was not invited to a key meeting on player welfare that Infantino held on the eve of the Club World Cup final with representatives from other year, amid a backlash over the expansion of the Club World Cup, Fifpro filed a legal complaint against Fifa, claiming it had abused its role under European competition law by adding more pressure to the fixture has denied the claims, and at the weekend Infantino called the tournament "the most successful club competition in the world".But tensions have now intensified, with Fifpro president Marchi insisting that while the Club World Cup "generated enthusiasm among numerous fans and allowed some of the world's leading figures to be seen in a single tournament… this competition hides a dangerous disconnect with the true reality faced by the majority of footballers around the world".Marchi added: "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."Fifth Roman emperor Nero threw spectacular games and events which made him popular with ordinary people, but is better remembered for his brutality and cruelty. At the weekend, Fifa said there was a "consensus" with player unions that there should be at least 72 hours of rest between matches, and players should have a rest period of at least 21 days at the end of each season. However, that is a week less than Fifpro had been asking - which represents 66,000 men's and women's players around the world - has previously expressed concern about the extreme heat faced by players in the US during the tournament, demanding more flexibility from Fifa on kick-off times and protocols. Infantino has admitted that the heat was "an issue".But Marchi said, "the tournament was held under unacceptable conditions… that put the players' physical integrity at risk". He added: "This situation must not only be denounced, but must be firmly warned against. What happened cannot be repeated under any circumstances at next year's Fifa World Cup."We have been warning about the overcrowded schedule, the lack of physical and mental rest for players, and the lack of dialogue on the part of Fifa. This way of organising tournaments, without listening to the federation that represents the world's professional footballers' associations, is unilateral, authoritarian, and based solely on a logic of economic profitability, not human sustainability."We cannot continue to play with the health of players to fuel a marketing machine. There is no spectacle possible if the voices of the protagonists are silenced."Fifa has been approached for comment.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fifpro not invited to Fifa's player welfare summit
Global players' union Fifpro was excluded from a summit meeting in New York between Fifa president Gianni Infantino and players' groups, according to ESPN. Fifa released a statement on Sunday that a consensus was reached with the players' unions on a mandatory 72-hour minimum gap between matches as well as a three-week rest period in the closed season. Advertisement However, it is now revealed that no one from Fifpro and the UK-based Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) was present at the meeting and they had no role in the talks that led to the Fifa announcement. Infantino was seen pictured with union officials from all over the world, but most of them were part of organisations expelled from Fifpro. The staging of the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup in the United States has led to fresh concerns regarding player welfare, with Fifpro issuing a series of demands for the wellbeing of footballers. The players' union president Sergio Marchi lashed out at Infantino for taking decisions without dialogue, sensitivity and respect for the players. Advertisement He said: 'While the recent Club World Cup generated enthusiasm among numerous fans and allowed some of the world's leading figures to be seen in a single tournament, 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. '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.' The Club World Cup also came under heavy criticism over players being forced to play in extreme weather conditions. Temperatures soared past 35°C during Chelsea's semi-final against Fluminense, with midfielder Enzo Fernandez describing the conditions as 'very dangerous'. The Blues final with Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday was played in 30°C temperatures at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
FIFA claims consensus over rest periods but global players union criticise ‘authoritarian' decisions
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)
