Latest news with #Fifpro
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Women's World Cup to expand to 48 teams from 2031
Fifa has announced that the Women's World Cup will be expanded from 32 to 48 teams from the 2031 tournament. The Fifa Council voted unanimously for the changes that will be in place for 2035 edition, due to be hosted in the United Kingdom. As a result of the increase in teams, the competition will adopt a 12-group format with an additional 40 matches, up from 64 to 104, that will extend the tournament by a week. Fifa president Gianni Infantino said the changes would give more nations to "the chance to benefit from the tournament to develop their women's football structures". He added: "This decision ensures we are maintaining the momentum in terms of growing women's football globally." England reached the final of the most recent Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 before losing to Spain. The Lionesses, along with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, are set to have a chance to compete on home soil in 2035 with the UK seen as the only "valid" bidder for the tournament. None of the home nations have lifted the trophy since its inception in 1991. Players' union Fifpro welcomed the expansion "in principle" but called for a number of issues in the women's game to be addressed. "[The World Cup expansion] reflects the global growth of the women's game," Fifpro said. "However, the support of players depends on inclusive decision-making and cooperative planning that respects all stakeholders. "It is critical that the global development of women's competitions goes hand in hand with improved labour conditions and the advancement of players, as well as development further down the pyramid. "This is the only path to true sustainability, expansion, and progress." Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page UK set to host 2035 Women's World Cup as only 'valid' bid
BBC News
09-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Women's World Cup to expand to 48 teams from 2031
Fifa has announced that the Women's World Cup will be expanded from 32 to 48 teams from the 2031 Fifa Council voted unanimously for the changes that will be in place for 2035 edition, due to be hosted in the United a result of the increase in teams, the competition will adopt a 12-group format with an addition 40 matches, up from 64 to 104, that will extend the tournament by a president Gianni Infantino said the changes would give more nations to "the chance to benefit from the tournament to develop their women's football structures".He added: "This decision ensures we are maintaining the momentum in terms of growing women's football globally."England reached the final of the most recent Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 before losing to Lionesses, along with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, are set to have a chance to compete on home soil in 2035 with the UK seen as the only "valid" bidder for the of the home nations have lifted the trophy since its inception in 1991. Fifpro calls for 'improved labour conditions' Players' union Fifpro welcomed the expansion "in principle" but called for a number of issues in the women's game to be addressed."[The World Cup expansion] reflects the global growth of the women's game," Fifpro said."However, the support of players depends on inclusive decision-making and cooperative planning that respects all stakeholders."It is critical that the global development of women's competitions goes hand in hand with improved labour conditions and the advancement of players, as well as development further down the pyramid."This is the only path to true sustainability, expansion, and progress."
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Landmark case finds negligence for Nigerian player's death
A court case which found Nigeria's leading football bodies to be negligent for the death of a player has been hailed as a "landmark" by global players' union Fifpro. Martins Chineme died aged 25 in March 2020 after collapsing on the pitch while representing Nasarawa United in Nigeria's top flight, which was administrated by the League Management Company (LMC), now known as the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) board, a body that sits under the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Over five years later, the club, the LMC, the NFF and Christian Mbah, the match commissioner, were all adjudged to have failed in their duty of care to the player. While there have been previous negligence cases in Nigeria, this is the first regarding negligence in sport. "It's a proper landmark case in football," Loic Alves, Fifpro's senior legal counsel, told BBC Sport Africa. "I have not seen another ruling where a federation is held liable to the extent that they are in this case. This is rare." This month's historic verdict was made by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), which awarded damages to the family of the late player, who died of suspected cardiac arrest. The club, the NPFL, the NFF and Mbah have not commented on the ruling. How Nigerian football failed Martins Chineme Fifpro to help family over death of Nigerian player Key to the findings of the NICN, which has exclusive jurisdiction over civil matters related to employment and workplace conditions, is that the ruling was made in common law, so establishing a legal precedent for such cases in future. "We're hopeful that this ruling will serve not just in Nigeria, but will also cross borders and force federations, leagues and clubs to reflect on their regulations and obligations," said Alves. "It works as a strong reminder that a lack of enforcement of your regulations can lead to real-life consequences - and these consequences can be terrible." Chineme's family have reacted with both relief and delight after a protracted legal trial. "It was an emotion one can't really express," Chineme's brother Michael told the BBC. "It has been a long journey in pursuit of justice. I want to dedicate the victory to those who feel all hope is gone." Martins Chineme died after a catalogue of failures at the Lafia Township Stadium where there was no functioning ambulance or working defibrillator, poor on-pitch treatment and an under-qualified club doctor. Contrary to league rules, the defender had not passed a mandatory pre-season medical assessment that includes an echocardiogram, which could have been vital for a player whose family have a history of heart issues. Nasarawa United, a state-owned club, had also failed to provide insurance cover for the player. The pre-season screening failure and inadequate medical facilities prompted the NICN to describe the defendants' conduct as "reprehensible". The Chineme family also successfully claimed that all the defendants owed the footballer a duty of care - in ensuring that a club has mandated medical personnel and equipment on any given match day. "What I find interesting in this judgement is that the duty of care is not only on the club," said Alves. "I find this extended application of a classic labour law principle to be very, very positive for all players." It is a point backed by one of the Chinemes' lawyers. "As regards the operations of the NFF and the league body, knowing that a civil court can hold them responsible going forward is going to make a real difference," Sportlicitors founder Tosin Akinyemi told BBC Sport Africa. "And if they still don't want to change, this is going to encourage other parties going forward." The Chineme family were themselves initially reluctant to pursue a claim. "We never wanted to go to court, because most people will tell you 'You can't challenge the guys in authority - they are so powerful'," Michael Chineme told the BBC. "I felt confident and said 'We can't continue like this in this country - justice must be done'." Starting in December 2020, the claim took over four years to complete - with Nasarawa United not only denying negligence but also being accused of drawing out the legal process. "The football club brought a series of preliminary objections and other applications - which were not really of good merit - to try to slow down the case," Akinyemi said. Among these were an unsuccessful challenge to the jurisdiction of the NICN to even hear the Chinemes' case, which the club derided as "manifestly frivolous and gold-digging". Meanwhile, despite the significance of a player effectively dying on their watch, neither the LMC nor NFF engaged in the case. "This is a pattern we often observe when we have cases against federations, clubs or leagues," said Fifpro's Alves. "Federations tend to believe they can enjoy some sort of impunity. What is remarkable in this case is that a state court is reminding them that they are as equal in front of the law as any other body. "Too often federations and clubs forget that." Even though Nasarawa United had already been sanctioned - fined just over $15,000 (£11,200) by the NFF in 2020 - for breaching a host of rules, such as not acquiring a qualified doctor for the game, the club consistently denied wrongdoing. Claims of valid insurance and pre-season medical tests were proven false when cross-examination revealed the tests had screened for issues such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and typhoid rather than cardiac issues. In his ruling, Justice Haastrup said Nasarawa United "threw every caution to the wind" when certifying Chineme as fit to play. The African footballers putting their hearts on the line Nigeria is known for international stars such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and, further back, Jay-Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu, who faced heart problems of his own. But some local players - in a sign of the atmosphere enveloping the country's domestic football - turned down a chance to support their late friend. "I begged three players to testify," said Michael Chineme. "But they were afraid of their career - that if they came, they might be threatened, they might lose their job." Now those self-same players are celebrating a case which the family always hoped would deliver justice "not just for Martins, but for every other footballer". "I've been approached by some players and by his friends that still play," said Michael. "They were like: 'Thank you for this, we never knew this was still going on, we never knew you were this resilient'." Along with the federation, league and match commissioner, Nasarawa United must pay the family damages, but Michael says the amount will not even cover their legal fees. That is one reason a foundation he established in his brother's name in 2022 will help footballers legally, but not financially. "I set up Chineme Martins Football Foundation to see the little way it can help those who have been suffering these kinds of issues," he said. As Michael admits, the family might easily have given up the legal fight without Fifpro's support. In return, the global players' union is delighted the steadfast Chinemes may have secured a brighter future for footballers across the planet. "There's a simple message," Alves said of the ruling. "For the people involved on the pitch, this is work. People that organise these competitions have to make sure they're doing it in safe conditions."
BBC News
23-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Schedule must change for player safety
Manchester City forward Vivianne Miedema has criticised the women's football schedule, and called for those in charge of the calendar to make changes prioritising "players' physical and mental safety".The 28-year-old is having rehabilitation after suffering a potentially season-ending hamstring injury while on international duty for the Netherlands at the beginning of this season she was sidelined for more than three months with a knee injury, while in her final two seasons at Arsenal she only made eight Women's Super League (WSL) appearances after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee in December on Instagram, Miedema said: "It took me a couple of days to get my head around being injured again and to find the needed motivation to start rehab."I've been really impatient and I want it to go quicker, but maybe that's because I finally felt like myself again out there and I enjoyed being on the pitch even though games come quick and hard."I will say this over and over again. To the people in charge of the football calendar, it is time to realise the current schedule will need to change for players' physical and mental safety." Miedema's Manchester City have been immersed in the busy schedule of late, playing eight matches in 29 days throughout March as they competed in four featured in all eight before sustaining her injury during the Netherlands' Women's Nations League match with Austria on 8 April, having also played for the national side four days earlier. Including Miedema, manager Nick Cushing's side have nine first-team players out injured or, in the cases of Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp, only recently returning to training following long-term absences. However, concerns about the schedule and player safety are not restricted to Manchester City. In April 2024, players' union Fifpro and the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) launched a collaboration with Leeds Beckett University to accelerate research into reducing ACL injuries in women's football. ACL injuries are two to six times more likely to occur in women than men, and about two-thirds of them in women's football happen when there is no physical contact. However, there is limited understanding of how to reduce their frequency in the professional game. Last July, meanwhile, Fifpro, together with top European leagues, launched legal action against world governing body Fifa over its "abuse of dominance" in the game. They filed a complaint to the European Commission to protect player welfare following pressure from leagues and player unions over the number of matches added to the calendar. Head here to get involved
The Guardian
18-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Josh Cavallo reveals daily death threats and says football ‘toxic' for gay players
Australia's first out gay male football player, Josh Cavallo, has said he receives multiple death threats every day and would find it difficult to encourage other footballers to come out due to the sport's 'toxic' environment. The Adelaide United midfielder came out in 2021 and said that despite his club's and coaches' support his openness about his sexuality had brought him a lot of pressure and negativity. 'There's multiple, multiple, multiple death threats that come my way daily still,' Cavallo's said on Fifpro's Footballers Unfiltered podcast. 'And it's quite sad to see. In the world of football, being an openly gay player is a very toxic place. It's something that not everyone would be able to handle and go through. 'I still think we're a very, very long way off acceptance in this space. So, these are factors that people will consider in their coming out and they might not be out now, but coming out brings all this attention, it brings all this pressure, brings all this negativity that will affect their game in the long run.' Cavallo has received homophobic abuse from crowds when playing for Adelaide and been vocal about the problem on social media. 'It's difficult to say to people: 'Absolutely, come out, be yourself,'' he said. 'But it also comes with a mountain of downsides as well that I don't think people realise.' Cavallo said having a support network around him had helped him 'put up a wall' to protect him from abuse. He also said he wished he had come out earlier, rather than waited until he was 21, because he felt himself living a lie. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion 'I was tired of being hidden and tired of having to go around and hide from people and not live my authentic self,' he said. 'And then I would be like why hasn't this happened in football? Why hasn't no one ever came out to be themselves and be successful and play. And I understand that now looking back, all the negativity, all the things that come your way.'
