Soccer player unions launch legal action against FIFA over ‘endless’ games
Global News
'The most in-demand players are now part of an endless schedule of games,' one union leader said. The players' unions say the current schedule 'violates the rights of players.'
The unions for professional European soccer players have started legal action against FIFA over the expanded men’s Club World Cup, saying playing more games violates players’ rights with no scope for rest between seasons, the global union said on Thursday.
England’s Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and France’s players’ union (UNFP), both part of the global FIFPRO union, submitted a legal claim with the Brussels court of commerce on Thursday.
World soccer’s governing body FIFA said in May it would not consider rescheduling its 32-team tournament, which sets different club teams from around the world against each other.
It’s scheduled for June 15-July 13 next year, after the union FIFPRO and the World Leagues Association (WLA) threatened legal action if it did not review the plans.
“Player unions believe that these decisions violate the rights of players and their unions under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights while also potentially violating EU competition law,” PFA chief executive Maheta Molango said.
“The most in-demand players are now part of an endless schedule of games and competitions for club and country, with their limits constantly being pushed through expansion and the creation of new competitions.”
“FIFPRO Europe member unions have today submitted a legal claim against FIFA, challenging the legality of FIFA’s decisions to unilaterally set the International Match Calendar (IMC) and, in particular, the decision to create and schedule the FIFA Club World Cup 2025,” FIFPRO said in a statement.
The claim submitted Thursday asks the Brussels Court of Commerce to refer the case to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
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