FifPro, the world’s main player union, has branded Gianni Infantino as “the man who thinks he’s god” in a tirade against the Fifa president and the Club World Cup.
The inaugural rendition of the revamped tournament has come under heavy criticism for the increased strain it’s put on players, further packing an already crammed football calendar. The heat of midday fixtures in the United States has been an additional player welfare issue in the United States.
However, The Independent understands FifPro were not invited to a meeting that Infantino staged on Saturday over “key issues concerning player health” ahead of the Club World Cup final.
The player union has responded with a scathing statement that lambasts Infantino for “silencing” the game’s key protagonists.
“While the recent Club World Cup generated enthusiasm among numerous fans and allowed some of the world’s leading figures to be seen in a single tournament, FifPro cannot fail to point out, with absolute clarity, that this competition hides a dangerous disconnect with the true reality experienced by most footballers around the world,” the statement read.
“What was presented as a global celebration of football was nothing more than a fiction created by Fifa, promoted by its president, without dialogue, sensitivity, and respect for those who sustain the game with their daily efforts. A grandiloquent staging inevitably reminiscent of the ‘bread and circuses’ of Nero’s Rome, entertainment for the masses while behind the scenes inequality, precariousness, and the lack of protection for the true protagonists deepen.”
FifPro has called for Fifa to learn from the shortcomings of the Club World Cup ahead of next year’s World Cup, which will also be held in the United States alongside Canada and Mexico.
“The tournament was held under unacceptable conditions, with matches played at extremely hot times and in temperatures that put the players’ physical safety at risk,” the statement adds. “This situation must not only be denounced, but must be firmly warned against. What happened cannot be repeated under any circumstances at next year’s Fifa World Cup.
“At FifPro, we have been warning about the overcrowded schedule, the lack of physical and mental rest for players, and the lack of dialogue from Fifa. This way of organizing tournaments, without listening to the Federation that represents the world’s professional footballers’ associations, is unilateral, authoritarian, and based solely on a logic of economic profitability, not human sustainability. We cannot continue to play with the health of players to fuel a marketing machine.
“There is no spectacle possible if the voices of the protagonists are silenced. At FifPro, we reiterate our commitment: we will firmly defend every right, denounce every abuse, and demand that Fifa adopt a truly inclusive policy that respects the integrity of footballers and places them at the center of every decision.”
The Club World Cup culminates on Sunday as Chelsea face off against PSG in the tournament’s final, held at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
