French football union blasts FIFA Club World Cup over player welfare
France's football union has blasted the FIFA Club World Cup, saying it is 'urgent to stop this massacre' amid ongoing concerns about player welfare.
The Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels (UNFP) also accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of living 'in an ivory tower' by ignoring the impact congested calendars have on players worldwide.
'The incongruity of the situation is not lost on anyone, except, of course, Gianni Infantino and his flatterers. From the height of his ivory tower, which he parades around the world, the FIFA president is not bothered by the fate that the international calendar reserves for the game's leading players,' the UNFP said in a statement early Sunday morning.
'His (Infantino's) Club World Cup proves, to the point of absurdity, that it is urgent to stop this massacre game. He flouts the physical and mental health of players for a few more dollars."
The UNFP statement said the Club World Cup comes at the end of an already exhausting season, and thereby ignores 'collective bargaining agreements (which) almost everywhere, provide for an incompressible period of three weeks of rest for footballers between two seasons.'
Too many games
Days before the start of the month-long Club World Cup, which ends on 13 July, football chiefs faced renewed calls to safeguard players over growing fears of injuries and burnout.
The newly expanded tournament involving 32 teams has faced pushback since FIFA announced it would be added to an already saturated calendar. The tournament will be played every four years, sandwiched in between the men's World Cup, European Championship and 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.
'The UNFP, like FIFPRO and FIFPRO Europe, has been protesting for years against the drastic increase in workloads,' The UNFP added. 'But also against the harmful repercussions for domestic football of a calendar that FIFA is still alone in building today.'
Last September, Manchester City midfielder Rodri suffered a severe knee injury soon after saying players were close to going on strike over excessive workloads.
No rest for Paris Saint-Germain
Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain is one of the biggest sides involved in the Club World Cup.
After winning the Champions League on 31 May, key PSG players like Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué played for France and then went to the United States soon after for the Club World Cup.
Some French clubs have already resumed training for the upcoming Ligue 1 season, which begins mid-August, while others start next week. PSG was unable to push for a postponement of the start of the season.
'We don't see how or why the Parisians should not benefit from the three weeks of complete rest they are entitled to,' the UNFP said, adding that the toll of extra games for PSG's players could impact the national team in early September.
"A delay in preparation that must also worry (France coach) Didier Deschamps ahead of two qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup," the UNFP said, before concluding. 'What do you say, Mr Infantino?'
FIFA hopes the event will be to club football what the World Cup is to international soccer and establish itself as one of the biggest and wealthiest tournaments in sport.
The old version of the Club World Cup, which was played yearly, was dominated by European teams in recent times. Only Brazilian team Corinthians broke Europe's winning run in 17 years.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
32 minutes ago
- France 24
Only Messi can shirk defending: warns Monterrey coach before Dortmund clash
The Spanish coach said former Barcelona great Lionel Messi, whose Inter Miami side were knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, is the only player in the world who can get away without tracking back. Monterrey secured an impressive 1-1 draw against Champions League runners-up Inter Milan in the group phase, but, to reach the quarter-finals, must secure a first ever win for a Mexican side against European opposition in the competition. "We need to compete as a team, and what I mean is it's about defending -- we must all defend, if you do not defend, you're getting benched, if you don't abide by the rules, you're harming the team," Torrent told a news conference Monday ahead of the match in Atlanta. "We played very well against Inter Milan, we went in for every ball, we suffered and we endured, even our most talented players that tend to defend less, they defended very well. "There are only one or two players who may make a difference -- one is Lionel Messi, the best player in history. He was the only one who could tip the balance, turn the game on its head, without team-mates, without defending. "He was so good he could tip the balance but all the other players in the world they need to track back and to defend, otherwise you can't compete head-to-head with these teams." Torrent said the margin of quality between European sides and the rest of the world was smaller, but still evident, although it did not preclude an upset. "Against the top European teams there is a significant gap, this is the truth of the matter," he explained. "We have a plan A, plan B and plan C, that's what you need as a coach, many things happen over the course of a football match." The Mexican side boast a serial winner in former Real Madrid veteran centre-back Sergio Ramos, with the 39-year-old wearing the captain's armband and marshalling the defence. In attack they have former Sevilla winger Lucas Ocampos and striker German Berterame, who netted a brace against Urawa Red Diamonds in the final group game to help them progress second, eliminating Argentine powerhouses River Plate. Del Piero's pick Former Juventus great Alessandro Del Piero even picked Monterrey to go through ahead of Dortmund when making some last 16 predictions. "He's a football world legend, a reference. We thank him, but we don't take it seriously. We know who we are and, on paper, who the favorites are," said Torrent. "I hope our players haven't heard (that), because what I want to make clear to my players is that we have to fight for every ball, every second -- only in this way can we compete." Berterame said the team have grown a lot psychologically under Torrent, who was Pep Guardiola's assistant at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City before starting on his own path as a head coach. "Our mentality and what we've accomplished have made our mindset higher now," explained the forward. © 2025 AFP
France 24
5 hours ago
- France 24
Archer misses out as England unchanged for second India Test
Ben Stokes' men won the opening match of a five-Test series by five wickets last week after chasing down 371 on the final day at Headingley. Archer has not played Test cricket since February 2021 but had been called into the squad after bowling his first red-ball overs for four years in Sussex's County Championship draw against Durham last week. However, the 30-year-old was forced to miss Monday's training session due to a family emergency. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Archer would rejoin the team in Birmingham on Tuesday. Barbados-born Archer burst onto the scene in 2019, hailed as a key weapon for England in their search for genuine pace to unsettle opponents. He bowled the decisive super over in England's 50-over World Cup win over New Zealand at Lord's in 2019 and took 22 wickets in four Tests that followed against Australia in the drawn Ashes series. But Archer was dogged by an elbow injury first sustained in 2020 that required multiple operations and has also had to overcome a recurring stress fracture in his back, first sustained in 2022. England are looking to take a 2-0 lead on a ground where India have never won a Test in eight visits. All eyes will be on whether star bowler Jasprit Bumrah is selected in the India side. Bumrah is being bedded back into the gruelling Test arena after suffering a back injury in the final match of a 3-1 series loss to Australia in January. India had committed to fielding the 31-year-old in just three of the matches against England. But India coach Gautam Gambhir is under growing pressure after seven defeats in 11 Tests since he took charge last year. England team © 2025 AFP
LeMonde
9 hours ago
- LeMonde
John Textor resigns and Michele Kang takes over as president of relegated Lyon
American businesswoman Michele Kang took over on Monday, June 30, as president of seven-time French champion Lyon after John Textor resigned following the club's relegation over financial irregularities. The South Korea-born Kang is also majority owner of the Lyon's women's team – OL Lyonnes – and has been on Lyon's board of directors since 2023. Olympique Lyonnais added that Textor has also resigned from the board of directors. He became Lyon president three years ago, taking over from longstanding incumbent Jean-Michel Aulas, who sold to Textor's Eagle Football Holdings. Lyon said in a statement that Kang will play an "active role" in leading the club's appeal against the relegation handed down last Tuesday by the French league's watchdog, known as DNCG. The case is expected to be heard within the next week. That ruling could also decide whether Crystal Palace will be allowed to play in next season's Europa League, which Lyon also qualified for. Textor also held a 43% stake in Palace – which he has agreed to sell to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson – and UEFA has rules against clubs with the same owner playing the same competition. "A highly respected figure in European football administration, Michael brings over two decades of experience in governance, regulatory affairs and sports operations," Lyon said in its statement. The 66-year-old Kang will be supported in her role by Michael Gerlinger, the general manager of Eagle Football Holdings. €175 million in debt Lyon's run of Ligue 1 titles from 2001-08 made it the powerhouse of French football. Since Paris Saint-Germain took over at the top, fortunes have steadily dipped for Lyon. The decision to relegate the club followed an audit of its finances by the DNCG, with Lyon's current debt estimated at €175 million. The DNCG had already provisionally relegated Lyon to Ligue 2 in November, with the club reporting at the time that it had more than €500 million of debt. A transfer ban was also imposed in the January transfer window. News of Lyon's relegation was met by dismay from Lyon fans, with one historic supporters group, The Bad Gones, leading calls for Textor's immediate resignation. The club shop was tagged with a blunt message urging him to go. A Champions League semi-finalist five years ago, Lyon narrowly lost to Manchester United in the Europa League quarterfinals this season and missed out on a cash windfall when it failed to qualify for next season's Champions League after finishing sixth in Ligue 1. Three weeks ago, Lyon received a much-needed cash injection by selling coveted playmaker Rayan Cherki to Manchester City for €36 million, while high earners like forward Alexandre Lacazette left the club. But it wasn't enough to convince the DNCG that Lyon's books were in order, a task which now falls to Kang. Ligue 1 resumes in mid-August with Lyon scheduled to play at Lens if it wins the appeal. Head of the Washington Spirit Kang assumes majority ownership of Lyon one year after taking over the Washington Spirit women's team in 2022 when average gates were around 3,000. They are now around 15,000. Forbes estimates Kang's worth at $1.2 billion. She also heads Kynisca Sports International, a women-led, multi-team global sports organization. Last November, she pledged $30 million to US Soccer over five years for women and girls – the largest single investment specifically for women's and girl's programs in the federation's history. As well as her donation to US Soccer, in August 2024 her Kynisca Sports organization set up a $50-million global investment fund to help improve the health and performance of elite female athletes. Lyon's women's team – a record eight-time Champions League winner – will enjoy a new, female-specific training campus when it opens in July 2026. The women's team will also share the Groupama Stadium with the men's side.
