Soccer players' union hits back at 'autocratic' FIFA and Infantino in fallout from Club World Cup

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The global soccer players’ union hit back at FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino on Friday, saying their autocratic style of leadership was harming the rights of its members.

“Football needs responsible leadership, not emperors,” the FIFPRO network said after a meeting of 58 national player unions responded to FIFA pursuing its agenda with unofficial player representatives.

“It needs fewer autocratic monologues and more genuine, inclusive and transparent dialogue,” the union added.

FIFA announced two weeks ago it reached a consensus on key issues after Infantino hosted a group of mostly non-recognized officials in New York ahead of the Club World Cup final.

The latest rift between soccer’s governing body and its players’ unions flared while the European Commission in Brussels is considering a formal complaint against FIFA. It was filed by FIFPRO’s European division and national leagues in Europe against FIFA's style of governance and decision-making.

FIFA denounced what it called Friday the union leadership's “increasingly divisive and contradictory tone" in pursuing a public relations battle "to preserve their own personal positions and interests."

FIFPRO said Friday its core concerns included an overloaded global match calendar with too many games for elite players, lack of physical and mental recovery periods and extreme playing conditions.

Players at the month-long Club World Cup in the United States reported feeling dizzy and unwell in the heat of daytime games played to appeal to worldwide TV audiences.

The 63-game tournament backed by Saudi Arabian money was lucrative for clubs, especially in Europe, though FIFA added it to the schedule without formally consulting players.

The tournament, FIFPRO said, was “celebrated by President Infantino despite being held under conditions that were extreme and inappropriate for any human being, demonstrating a troubling insensitivity to human rights, even when it concerns elite athletes.

“FIFPRO reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to protecting the rights of men and women players — rights which are being seriously undermined by commercial policies imposed by its autocratic system of governance,” the Netherlands-based union said of FIFA.

“This is a model that puts the health of players at risk and sidelines those at the heart of the game,” FIFPRO said, adding it was “unacceptable for an organization that claims global leadership to turn a blind eye to the basic needs of the players.”

FIFA responded by challenging the union to publish its statutes and “transparent annual accounts.”

“Let us be clear: you cannot preach transparency while operating in opacity,” the world soccer body said.

FIFPRO has not had a formal working agreement with FIFA since the previous one expired in 2023.

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