Latest news with #playerhealth
News.com.au
16-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
AFL 2025: Essendon will ‘relocate resources' to medical space after staggering injury toll
Essendon will reallocate time and resources to player health next year after this season's cruel spate of long-term injuries. The Bombers face GWS without 16 players this Thursday after Nate Caddy, Ben Hobbs, Will Setterfield and Nic Martin joined a tall list of sidelined players. Caddy and Hobbs are set to return next week, but Martin and Setterfield have been ruled out indefinitely. Essendon coach Brad Scott has been the barometer of optimism this season, insisting the opportunity provided to the young Bombers had unearthed future stars. But on Wednesday he confirmed the club would undisputedly need to upgrade its medical space after such an arduous campaign. 'I am not deep in the weeds in that space, I've got a job to do in the short term,' Scott said. 'This is a good example, a five-day break, there's no time to be getting distracted from what I need to do. 'I do have the utmost confidence in the people who are looking at our program (but) there's no doubt we will relocate resources to that space. 'We know better than anyone this year how important it is to get your players out fit and available.' Scott was confident the adversity the Bombers had faced would forge a more resilient group. 'I mean I think everyone would like to go out and win all the time and for life to be good,' he said. 'But if you want to get better at anything, whatever your chosen field of endeavour, you've got to experience adversity. 'If you don't, you just won't improve. As I said, we didn't set out at the start of the year to break any records in terms of debutants. 'But that's the opportunity that's created for us. We are extremely lucky to do what we do. 'There are moments, don't get me wrong, where we all – including me – feel sorry for ourselves, but we've got to bounce out of that really quickly and focus on what we can control.' The Bombers will unveil yet another debutant this week in mid-season draftee Liam McMahon. He started the season at Carlton in the VFL and has a chance to finish it as one of the Bombers' first-choice forwards. Scott lauded McMahon's natural ability to read the play, labelling him a forward few in the game present better than. 'He's just a very crafty forward, he finds a way to impact the game,' he said. 'He's one of those players, you have to spend a lot of time teaching forward craft (but) he's, I don't like using the term, but he's a bit of a natural forward. 'He reads the ball really well, he reads the cues of the opposition, he's a guy I'd like to kick the ball to if I was kicking the ball in the forward 50. 'McMahon presents better than most players in the competition and he's done it, albeit at VFL level.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
FifPro release scathing statement against Fifa president Gianni Infantino: ‘The man who thinks he's god'
FifPro, the world's main player union, has branded Gianni Infantino as 'the man who thinks he's god' in a tirade against the Fifa president and the Club World Cup. The inaugural rendition of the revamped tournament has come under heavy criticism for the increased strain it's put on players, further packing an already crammed football calendar. The heat of midday fixtures in the United States has been an additional player welfare issue in the United States. Advertisement However, The Independent understands FifPro were not invited to a meeting that Infantino staged on Saturday over 'key issues concerning player health' ahead of the Club World Cup final. The player union has responded with a scathing statement that lambasts Infantino for 'silencing' the game's key protagonists. '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,' the statement read. '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.' Advertisement FifPro has called for Fifa to learn from the shortcomings of the Club World Cup ahead of next year's World Cup, which will also be held in the United States alongside Canada and Mexico. 'The tournament was held under unacceptable conditions, with matches played at extremely hot times and in temperatures that put the players' physical safety at risk,' the statement adds. '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. 'At FifPro, we have been warning about the overcrowded schedule, the lack of physical and mental rest for players, and the lack of dialogue from Fifa. This way of organizing 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. At FifPro, we reiterate our commitment: we will firmly defend every right, denounce every abuse, and demand that Fifa adopt a truly inclusive policy that respects the integrity of footballers and places them at the center of every decision.' The Club World Cup culminates on Sunday as Chelsea face off against PSG in the tournament's final, held at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. Fifa have been contacted for comment.
The Independent
13-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
FifPro release scathing statement against Fifa president Gianni Infantino: ‘The man who thinks he's god'
FifPro, the world's main player union, has branded Gianni Infantino as 'the man who thinks he's god' in a tirade against the Fifa president and the Club World Cup. The inaugural rendition of the revamped tournament has come under heavy criticism for the increased strain it's put on players, further packing an already crammed football calendar. The heat of midday fixtures in the United States has been an additional player welfare issue in the United States. However, The Independent understands FifPro were not invited to a meeting that Infantino staged on Saturday over 'key issues concerning player health' ahead of the Club World Cup final. The player union has responded with a scathing statement that lambasts Infantino for 'silencing' the game's key protagonists. '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,' the statement read. '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.' FifPro has called for Fifa to learn from the shortcomings of the Club World Cup ahead of next year's World Cup, which will also be held in the United States alongside Canada and Mexico. 'The tournament was held under unacceptable conditions, with matches played at extremely hot times and in temperatures that put the players' physical safety at risk,' the statement adds. '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. 'At FifPro, we have been warning about the overcrowded schedule, the lack of physical and mental rest for players, and the lack of dialogue from Fifa. This way of organizing 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. At FifPro, we reiterate our commitment: we will firmly defend every right, denounce every abuse, and demand that Fifa adopt a truly inclusive policy that respects the integrity of footballers and places them at the center of every decision.'
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Main players' union not invited to ‘key' Fifa meeting over footballer welfare
FifPro, the world's main player union, were not invited to a meeting that Fifa president Gianni Infantino staged on Saturday over 'key issues concerning player health', The Independent understands. It is understood that the meeting even involved national union officials whose organisations have been expelled from FifPro or lost their position at the group after democratic processes. Advertisement A press release from the governing body spoke of 'productive discussions' with player groups, including 'critical matters related to the International Match Calendar'. That comes on the back of heavy criticism for how the Club World Cup has disrupted an already packed football schedule, leading to a FifPro legal action over how Fifa had 'unilaterally imposed' the competition on the game without proper consultation with stakeholders. The heat of midday fixtures in the United States has been an additional player welfare issue at the tournament, which led to a FifPro meeting with Fifa. FifPro' general secretary Alex Phillips declared his body 'partially happy, because Fifa have been quite responsive once the tournament was underway' but 'it would have been better if that had happened in advance'. Fifa have since proceeded with a key meeting that even called for 'the creation of an open, global and consultative player representatives FIFA panel' – headed by Infantino on the eve of the Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain – albeit without the body recognised as the primary players' representative group. No FifPro representatives were present and it is understood they did not receive an invite. This is despite representing 65,000 professional players worldwide. Advertisement Football stakeholders have privately described the event as 'a charade' and 'deeply flawed', that is seen as in-keeping with how the Club World Cup was implemented in the first place. Fifa have been approached for comment. A press release from the global governing body read: '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. This period should be managed individually by each club and the respective players also depending on their match calendars and taking into account applicable collective agreements.' The statement said 'a rest day per week should also be planned, whilst being managed pragmatically', with due consideration for long-haul intercontinental trips and climatic conditions. A will was similarly expressed to strike a balance between national team football and club football.
The Independent
13-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Main players' union not invited to ‘key' Fifa meeting over footballer welfare
FifPro, the world's main player union, were not invited to a meeting that Fifa president Gianni Infantino staged on Saturday over 'key issues concerning player health', The Independent understands. It is understood that the meeting even involved national union officials whose organisations have been expelled from FifPro or lost their position at the group after democratic processes. A press release from the governing body spoke of 'productive discussions' with player groups, including 'critical matters related to the International Match Calendar'. That comes on the back of heavy criticism for how the Club World Cup has disrupted an already packed football schedule, leading to a FifPro legal action over how Fifa had 'unilaterally imposed' the competition on the game without proper consultation with stakeholders. The heat of midday fixtures in the United States has been an additional player welfare issue at the tournament, which led to a FifPro meeting with Fifa. FifPro' general secretary Alex Phillips declared his body 'partially happy, because Fifa have been quite responsive once the tournament was underway' but 'it would have been better if that had happened in advance'. Fifa have since proceeded with a key meeting that even called for 'the creation of an open, global and consultative player representatives FIFA panel' – headed by Infantino on the eve of the Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain – albeit without the body recognised as the primary players' representative group. No FifPro representatives were present and it is understood they did not receive an invite. This is despite representing 65,000 professional players worldwide. Football stakeholders have privately described the event as 'a charade' and 'deeply flawed', that is seen as in-keeping with how the Club World Cup was implemented in the first place. Fifa have been approached for comment. A press release from the global governing body read: '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. This period should be managed individually by each club and the respective players also depending on their match calendars and taking into account applicable collective agreements.' The statement said 'a rest day per week should also be planned, whilst being managed pragmatically', with due consideration for long-haul intercontinental trips and climatic conditions. A will was similarly expressed to strike a balance between national team football and club football.
