FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, have been criticized for their autocratic way of leading, according to the global football players’ union, who claim that their members’ rights are being violated.
Following a meeting of 58 national player unions, the FIFPRO network said on Friday that “football needs responsible leadership, not emperors.”
More genuine, inclusive, and transparent dialogue is needed, the union added.
After Infantino hosted a group of largely unrecognised officials in New York before the Club World Cup final, FIFA announced two weeks ago that it had reached a consensus on crucial issues.
While the European Commission in Brussels is considering a formal complaint against FIFA, a rift recently developed between the governing body of soccer and its players’ unions. The European division of FIFPRO and the national leagues in Europe filed a complaint about FIFA’s governance and decision-making.
FIFPRO claimed that the main priorities of FIFA were an overloaded global match schedule, too many games for elite players, a lack of physical and mental recovery periods, and extreme playing conditions.
Players at the month-long Club World Cup in the United States reported feeling ill and sluggish during the heat of daytime competitions.
FIFA added the 63-game event to the schedule without formally consulting players, but it was profitable for clubs, especially in Europe, with Saudi Arabian funding.
According to FIFPRO, President Infantino “celebrated” the event despite it being held in unfavorable circumstances, which demonstrates a troubling disregard for human rights, even when it concerns elite athletes.
The Netherlands-based union praised FIFA for “reaffirming its unwavering commitment to protecting the rights of men and women players,” which are being seriously hampered by commercial policies imposed by its autocratic system of governance.
According to FIFA, “This is a model that puts the health of players at risk and sidelines those at the heart of the game,” adding that it was unacceptable for an organization that claims global leadership to ignore the players’ fundamental needs.
FIFA had a comment request.
Source: Aljazeera
Leave a Reply