Fifa hailing of Club World Cup 'a fiction' says player union

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Fifa's praise for its Club World Cup has been dismissed as "nothing more than a fiction" by the head of the prominent players' global union, Fifpro.

In a critical declaration, Sergio Marchi seemed to liken Fifa's president Gianni Infantino to the Roman emperor Nero.

Additionally, he asserted that Fifa "decided to continue boosting its revenue at the detriment of the players' health and wellbeing."

This statement follows reports that Fifpro was not included in an important meeting focused on player welfare, which Infantino held just before the Club World Cup final with other union representatives.

Last year, in response to backlash regarding the expanded Club World Cup, Fifpro lodged a legal complaint against Fifa, alleging that it had misused its power under European competition law by increasing the burden on the fixture schedule.

Fifa has repudiated these allegations, and over the weekend Infantino declared the tournament as "the most successful club competition in the world."

However, the situation has escalated, with Fifpro president Marchi emphasizing that while the Club World Cup "inspired excitement among many fans and showcased some of the top individuals in a single tournament… this event obscures a perilous disconnect from the real experiences faced by most footballers globally."

Marchi continued: "What was marketed as a worldwide celebration of football was simply a fabrication by Fifa, advocated by its president, without any dialogue, empathy, or consideration for those who support the game through their daily contributions.

"A grand display that inevitably recalls the 'bread and circuses' of Nero's Rome, offering entertainment for the masses while in the background, inequality, instability, and the lack of protection for the real stars deepen."

The fifth Roman emperor Nero held grand events that endeared him to the common populace, yet he is primarily remembered for his brutality and cruelty.

Over the weekend, Fifa stated there was a "consensus" with player unions that mandated a minimum of 72 hours of rest between matches, with players entitled to a break of at least 21 days at the end of each season. Nevertheless, this is one week less than what Fifpro had requested.

Fifpro, which represents 66,000 male and female players worldwide, has previously raised alarms about the extreme temperatures experienced by players in the US during the tournament, calling for Fifa to provide greater flexibility regarding match start times and protocols. Infantino acknowledged that the heat was "an issue."

However, Marchi pointed out that "the tournament occurred under intolerable conditions… that jeopardized the players' physical integrity."

He further stated, "This situation must not only be condemned but must be vigorously warned against. What transpired cannot be allowed to happen again at next year's Fifa World Cup."

We have consistently raised concerns regarding the packed schedule, insufficient physical and mental recovery time for athletes, and the absence of communication from Fifa. The current approach to organizing tournaments, which ignores the perspectives of the federation representing professional footballers around the globe, is one-sided, domineering, and driven exclusively by economic gain rather than the well-being of individuals.

We cannot keep compromising players' health to sustain a marketing enterprise. Without the input of the key figures involved, there can be no meaningful spectacle.