(Reuters) – The increasingly packed soccer calendar has left some players with as little as 12% of the year to rest, which is equivalent to less than one day off per week, global players’ union FIFPRO report said.
FIFPRO, which is filing a complaint to EU antitrust regulators against world soccer governing body FIFA’s international match calendar, said the lack of rest contravenes international health and safety standards and is a result of competition organisers not prioritising player welfare.
A report for the 2023-24 season said 54% of 1,500 players monitored faced high workload demands, with many exceeding medical recommendations.
Nearly a third (31%) were in matchday squads for more than 55 games, and 17% played in over 55 matches. About 30% featured in at least six straight weeks of two or more games per week.
All three European club competitions have been expanded to 36 teams this season and FIFPRO’s European member unions have started legal action against FIFA over the expanded men’s 32-team Club World Cup, starting next June in the United States.
International fixtures, with club or country, account for 30% of the matches for players with excessive workloads. Players spent up to 18% of their annual working time in national team camps or media and partnership activities last season.
“The gap between those who plan and schedule complex international competitions and those who play and experience them has never been bigger,” Alexander Bielefeld, Director of FIFPRO’s global policy & strategic relations, said in a statement.
The report also predicted players like Federico Valverde, Nicolo Barella and Phil Foden will play up to 80 matches in future seasons due to expanding competitions.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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