Footballers’ Union FIFPRO and sports organization European Leagues are going to file an official complaint against FIFA with the European Commission.
The complaint concerns the overcrowded playing calendar, a subject that many players and coaches have complained about for years due to injuries and (mental) fatigue due to the many matches.
In the joint statement, FIFPRO and European Leagues said FIFA had been urged on several occasions to provide transparency on the match calendar, but without success.
“For many years, the leagues and players’ unions have repeatedly urged FIFA to provide a clear, transparent and fair process regarding the international match calendar.
Unfortunately, FIFA has consistently refused to include national leagues and players’ unions in its decision-making process.
The international match calendar is now saturated and has become unsustainable for national leagues and there is a risk to the health of players,” the organizations wrote.
“This legal step is now the only responsible thing to do to protect football,” says a statement from the parties filing an official complaint against FIFA.
The increasingly busy football agenda has been a topic of discussion for some time.
European Leagues and FIFPro say that FIFA’s behavior is in breach of EU competition law.
“FIFA fulfils a dual role as the global regulator of football and as a competition organizer. This creates a conflict of interest.”
FIFPRO and European Leagues are at least supported by La Liga. The statement also notes that players’ unions in England, France, and Italy filed a case in Brussels in June.
