Players' union outlines new 12-point plan amid FIFA Club World Cup backlash

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

The inaugural Club World Cup is set to kick off this weekend and there has been outcry over the amount of tournaments players are having to feature in. Now FIFPRO want big changes to be introduced that will protect stars from burnout
Players' union bosses have put forward a 12 point plan to 'safeguard' footballers. FIFPRO are demanding significant changes to the current set-up and have done a comprehensive report involving 70 medical and performance experts.
It comes after huge rows involving players getting injured, suffering fatigue and also a huge backlash over players going to the Club World Cup.
‌
Manchester City and Chelsea are both at the tournament in the United States which stages the final on July 13 by which time other Premier League teams have had a holiday and are back in pre-season training. City midfielder Rodri warned football is at 'breaking point' while other powerful voices have said players are not being listened to.
‌
England boss Thomas Tuchel has even warned that Liverpool and Arsenal have a "huge advantage" in next season's title race as they are not at the Club World Cup.
READ MORE: Andy Robertson admits uncertainty over Liverpool future with Milos Kerkez transfer close
The 12 point plan says:
Off season break - minimum of four weeks' rest between seasons
Black out - the break must include two weeks with no contact with club or national team
Pre-season - must be minimum of four week training
Monitoring - clubs must give players option of wellness program in break
Rest and recovery - must be minimum of two days between games
Injury recovery - player must be cleared by doctor before resuming training
Day off - players must have mandatory one day off each week
Mid-season break - must be one week off mid-season each year
Travel - must be taken into account when scheduling fixtures
Travel rules - must be recovery after long haul flights
Young player safeguards - must be workload restrictions on under-18s
Safeguards on players under-21s
FIFPRO says the Delphi process, conducted in collaboration with FIFPRO's High-Performance
Advisory Network, is the most extensive expert consensus ever achieved on safeguards against excessive workload. They say over 75 per cent is needed from players for agreement to be rubber stamped amongst participants to establish each recommendation.
‌
Dr. Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO Medical Director, said: 'This study presents safety standards based on the considered and independent opinions of medical and performance experts working in professional football who understand the mental and physical strain placed on players.
"If we can all agree that health comes first, then we should take steps to implement these safeguards.'
Darren Burgess of FIFPRO added: 'Decoding the human body, performance, and sport-related injuries will be a lifelong scientific exercise for all of us.
"However, the results of this study show that there are certain minimum standards such as adequate rest between matches, and proper off-season breaks, that are common sense, aligned with scientific evidence and, above all, required by global occupational health and safety standards."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.