Latest news with #VincentGouttebarge
Nahar Net
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Nahar Net
Days before Club World Cup kicks off, fears over player welfare are raised
by Naharnet Newsdesk 13 June 2025, 16:40 Days before the start of the Club World Cup, soccer chiefs are facing renewed calls to safeguard players over growing fears of injuries and burnout. The sport's global players union, FIFPRO, said Thursday there should be an immediate implementation of guaranteed four-week breaks for players during the offseason, as well as time off mid-season. "If we can all agree that health comes first, then we should take steps to implement these safeguards," said Prof. Dr. Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO Medical Director. FIFPRO has been critical of the extra workload placed on players as a result of tournaments like the Club World Cup, which kicks off in Miami on Saturday. The newly-expanded tournament involving 32 of the world's best teams has faced pushback since FIFA announced it would be added to an already saturated calendar. The month-long tournament will be played every four years, sandwiched in between the men's World Cup, European Championship and Copa America. It is going ahead against the backdrop of legal challenges in Europe, strike threats and repeated concerns over players' mental and physical welfare due to the increased number of games. FIFA president Gianni Infantino this week said the competition was "writing history." "For the first time in history, the 32 best clubs in the world will compete in a tournament to determine finally who is the best club in the world," he said. But many players at the Club World Cup have entered the tournament on the back of a full regular season. Players such as Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha have headed to the Club World Cup just two weeks after winning the Champions League final, having also competed in the UEFA Nations League in between. The tournament ends July 13. That is likely to pose a problem for teams like Manchester City or Chelsea if they play in the latter stages, with the Premier League season kicking off on August 16 and leaving little time to rest before beginning the preseason preparations. FIFPRO said it carried out scientific study involving 70 medical and performance experts to come up with "12 consensus-based" safeguards to protect players from from calendar congestion and excessive workload. It said international soccer lacked "standardized frameworks or regulations." Among the safeguards it is calling for, FIFPRO wants two weeks in the offseason to be "completely commitment free." It wants mid-season breaks to be mandatory. Many European leagues have a winter break, but the Premier League does not. It also wants a minimum four-week retraining period before players return to action after the offseason break. Other safeguards include protection for academy players under the age of 18 and "travel fatigue management" to schedule rest periods after long-haul flights.
TimesLIVE
a day ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Four-week break recommended as player safeguard: Fifpro soccer study
A four-week off-season break should be mandatory for professional soccer players, with two of those weeks to be a blackout period with no communication with club or national team, according to a new study. Seventy medical and performance experts agreed on 12 safeguards as part of the study released on Thursday by global players' union Fifpro to protect players from calendar congestion and excessive workload. The safeguards include a minimum four-week retraining period after an off-season break before a return to competition. 'Decoding the human body, performance and sport-related injuries will be a lifelong scientific exercise for all of us,' said Darren Burgess, chair of Fifpro's high-performance advisory network. 'However, the results of this study show 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.' The study's release comes days before the expanded Fifa Club World Cup kicks off in the US amid player welfare concerns after an exhausting European season. Fifpro are calling for the immediate implementation of the safeguards which also include a minimum four-week retraining period after a close-season break before a return to competition and travel fatigue management which would mean rest periods after long-haul flights. Players should also have a mandatory one-day off per week during the season and there should be a one-week midseason break with no club or national team travel, training or media commitments. Fifpro are also calling for specific workload safeguards for academy players under the age of 18. More than 75% agreement was required among participants to establish each recommendation. While some safeguards exist under the collective bargaining agreements of some countries, international football lacks standardised regulations, Fifpro said. The study's Delphi methodological approach was an electronic survey conducted from February to March, involving experts working in the performance or medical team in men's professional football. Seventy-three percent of the experts are employed by football clubs, with 27% working for national teams. 'If we can agree that health comes first, then we should take steps to implement these safeguards,' said Fifpro's medical director Vincent Gouttebarge. In October Fifpro, the European leagues' group and Spain's LaLiga filed a joint complaint to EU antitrust regulators, accusing soccer's global governing body Fifa of 'abuse', concerned about the effect of the expanding football calendar on player wellbeing.
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Days before the Club World Cup kicks off, fears over player welfare are being raised
MIAMI (AP) — Days before the start of the Club World Cup, soccer chiefs are facing renewed calls to safeguard players over growing fears of injuries and burnout. The sport's global players union, FIFPRO, said Thursday there should be an immediate implementation of guaranteed four-week breaks for players during the offseason, as well as time off mid-season. 'If we can all agree that health comes first, then we should take steps to implement these safeguards,' said Prof. Dr. Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO Medical Director. FIFPRO has been critical of the extra workload placed on players as a result of tournaments like the Club World Cup, which kicks off in Miami on Saturday. The newly-expanded tournament involving 32 of the world's best teams has faced pushback since FIFA announced it would be added to an already saturated calendar. The month-long tournament will be played every four years, sandwiched in between the men's World Cup, European Championship and Copa America. It is going ahead against the backdrop of legal challenges in Europe , strike threats and repeated concerns over players' mental and physical welfare due to the increased number of games. FIFA president Gianni Infantino this week said the competition was 'writing history.' 'For the first time in history, the 32 best clubs in the world will compete in a tournament to determine finally who is the best club in the world,' he said. But many players at the Club World Cup have entered the tournament on the back of a full regular season. Players such as Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha have headed to the Club World Cup just two weeks after winning the Champions League final, having also competed in the UEFA Nations League in between. The tournament ends July 13. That is likely to pose a problem for teams like Manchester City or Chelsea if they play in the latter stages, with the Premier League season kicking off on August 16 and leaving little time to rest before beginning the preseason preparations. FIFPRO said it carried out scientific study involving 70 medical and performance experts to come up with '12 consensus-based' safeguards to protect players from from calendar congestion and excessive workload. It said international soccer lacked 'standardized frameworks or regulations.' Among the safeguards it is calling for, FIFPRO wants two weeks in the offseason to be 'completely commitment free.' It wants mid-season breaks to be mandatory. Many European leagues have a winter break, but the Premier League does not. It also wants a minimum four-week retraining period before players return to action after the offseason break. Other safeguards include protection for academy players under the age of 18 and 'travel fatigue management' to schedule rest periods after long-haul flights. ___ James Robson is at ___ AP soccer:
Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Days before the Club World Cup kicks off, fears over player welfare are being raised
Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — Days before the start of the Club World Cup, soccer chiefs are facing renewed calls to safeguard players over growing fears of injuries and burnout. The sport's global players union, FIFPRO, said Thursday there should be an immediate implementation of guaranteed four-week breaks for players during the offseason, as well as time off mid-season. 'If we can all agree that health comes first, then we should take steps to implement these safeguards,' said Prof. Dr. Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO Medical Director. FIFPRO has been critical of the extra workload placed on players as a result of tournaments like the Club World Cup, which kicks off in Miami on Saturday. The newly-expanded tournament involving 32 of the world's best teams has faced pushback since FIFA announced it would be added to an already saturated calendar. The month-long tournament will be played every four years, sandwiched in between the men's World Cup, European Championship and Copa America. It is going ahead against the backdrop of legal challenges in Europe, strike threats and repeated concerns over players' mental and physical welfare due to the increased number of games. FIFA president Gianni Infantino this week said the competition was 'writing history.' 'For the first time in history, the 32 best clubs in the world will compete in a tournament to determine finally who is the best club in the world,' he said. But many players at the Club World Cup have entered the tournament on the back of a full regular season. Players such as Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha have headed to the Club World Cup just two weeks after winning the Champions League final, having also competed in the UEFA Nations League in between. The tournament ends July 13. That is likely to pose a problem for teams like Manchester City or Chelsea if they play in the latter stages, with the Premier League season kicking off on August 16 and leaving little time to rest before beginning the preseason preparations. FIFPRO said it carried out scientific study involving 70 medical and performance experts to come up with '12 consensus-based' safeguards to protect players from from calendar congestion and excessive workload. It said international soccer lacked "standardized frameworks or regulations.' Among the safeguards it is calling for, FIFPRO wants two weeks in the offseason to be 'completely commitment free.' It wants mid-season breaks to be mandatory. Many European leagues have a winter break, but the Premier League does not. It also wants a minimum four-week retraining period before players return to action after the offseason break. Other safeguards include protection for academy players under the age of 18 and 'travel fatigue management' to schedule rest periods after long-haul flights. ___ James Robson is at ___ AP soccer: in this topic
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Days before the Club World Cup kicks off, fears over player welfare are being raised
MIAMI (AP) — Days before the start of the Club World Cup, soccer chiefs are facing renewed calls to safeguard players over growing fears of injuries and burnout. The sport's global players union, FIFPRO, said Thursday there should be an immediate implementation of guaranteed four-week breaks for players during the offseason, as well as time off mid-season. 'If we can all agree that health comes first, then we should take steps to implement these safeguards,' said Prof. Dr. Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO Medical Director. FIFPRO has been critical of the extra workload placed on players as a result of tournaments like the Club World Cup, which kicks off in Miami on Saturday. The newly-expanded tournament involving 32 of the world's best teams has faced pushback since FIFA announced it would be added to an already saturated calendar. The month-long tournament will be played every four years, sandwiched in between the men's World Cup, European Championship and Copa America. It is going ahead against the backdrop of legal challenges in Europe, strike threats and repeated concerns over players' mental and physical welfare due to the increased number of games. FIFA president Gianni Infantino this week said the competition was 'writing history.' 'For the first time in history, the 32 best clubs in the world will compete in a tournament to determine finally who is the best club in the world,' he said. But many players at the Club World Cup have entered the tournament on the back of a full regular season. Players such as Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha have headed to the Club World Cup just two weeks after winning the Champions League final, having also competed in the UEFA Nations League in between. The tournament ends July 13. That is likely to pose a problem for teams like Manchester City or Chelsea if they play in the latter stages, with the Premier League season kicking off on August 16 and leaving little time to rest before beginning the preseason preparations. FIFPRO said it carried out scientific study involving 70 medical and performance experts to come up with '12 consensus-based' safeguards to protect players from from calendar congestion and excessive workload. It said international soccer lacked 'standardized frameworks or regulations.' Among the safeguards it is calling for, FIFPRO wants two weeks in the offseason to be 'completely commitment free.' It wants mid-season breaks to be mandatory. Many European leagues have a winter break, but the Premier League does not. It also wants a minimum four-week retraining period before players return to action after the offseason break. Other safeguards include protection for academy players under the age of 18 and 'travel fatigue management' to schedule rest periods after long-haul flights. ___ James Robson is at ___ AP soccer:
