FIFA says players’ representatives and the sport’s governing body have reached a consensus on the need for a period of rest of 72 hours between matches, and agreed that players should have a minimum of 21 days of holidays at the end of each season.
The discussions took place on the eve of the FIFA Club World Cup final between PSG and Chelsea. The tournament was held during the European offseason and has faced criticism from unions, as an increased focus on player welfare has been leading to calls for mandatory rest periods and a greater emphasis on player safety during matches.
Days before the start of the month-long Club World Cup, soccer chiefs faced renewed calls to safeguard players over growing fears of injuries and burnout.
Photo: Reuters
Last month, France’s union of professional soccer players launched a scathing attack on the competition, saying it is “urgent to stop this massacre” amid ongoing concerns about extreme player workloads.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino and other officials from soccer’s governing body met with representatives of players’ unions from around the world in New York. FIFA hailed the discussions as “progressive,” adding that players’ health is a “top priority.”
“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. “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.”
Enforcing a 72-hour period strictly could mean big adjustments to some game schedules and TV deals. FIFA did not indicate how it would work in practice.
European teams playing in the UEFA Europa League late on Thursday evening routinely play domestic league games on the following Sunday. With a strict 72-hour break, they might have to wait until Monday to play again.
That would be a major headache for the German Bundesliga. It abolished Monday evening games in 2021 after years of protests by fans who wanted easier-to-attend weekend kickoffs.
When it introduced the unpopular Monday kickoffs four seasons earlier, the German league said it would mean more rest for Europa League teams.
The new Bundesliga TV deal starting next season does not include any Monday games, either.
FIFA said that one rest day per week should also be allowed and that travel demands as well as climate conditions would also factor into future competition planning.
The Club World Cup, involving 32 of the world’s top teams, has faced pushback since FIFA announced it would be added to an already saturated calendar.
The tournament is to be played every four years, sandwiched in between the men’s FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship and CONMEBOL Copa America. It went ahead against the backdrop of legal challenges in Europe, strike threats and repeated concerns over players’ mental and physical welfare due to too many games.
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