FIFA excludes 65,000-member players’ union FIFPro from player welfare talks in Morocco

FIFA have escalated tensions with FIFPro after sidelining the world players’ union from player welfare talks in Morocco. FIFPro slammed those invited as “not a meaningful global representation of independent player unions”.

The world governing body pressed ahead with plans to develop new proposals for player welfare, staging the Professional Players Consultation Forum in Rabat, Morocco, on the sidelines of the U-17 Women’s World Cup. FIFA claimed that the forum was attended “by representatives from 30 players’ unions”. 

In a statement, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, taking aim at FIFPro, said: “FIFA wants to work with all those genuinely interested in progress and respectful dialogue – our door is always open to all views that respect these values.”

FIFPro, which represents more than 65,000 members and 72 national unions, said it was not invited to the meeting which it argued “did not involve a meaningful global representation of independent player unions that speak on behalf of players and are an integral part of labour negotiations.”

FIFPro said that FIFA is promoting fake unions: “FIFA has previously applied similar strategies with agents and fans, creating FIFA-friendly organisations for consultation processes rather than engaging with the recognised football representative bodies. Extending this practice to employment matters and promoting fake or ‘yellow’ unions undermines collective worker representation and runs counter to International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions.”

The Rabat meeting focused on player rest and recovery, including rest periods between matches and the duration of the off-season, and player representation.

While it called the Rabat meeting “deeply flawed”, the union said that “FIFA should help establish a proper collective bargaining process at global level based on ILO standards and conventions. This process must be fair, structured and genuine.”

Relations between the two organisations soured in the lead-up to and during the Club World Cup, FIFA’s 32-team summer tournament that stretched the player workload to the limit because of calendar congestion and heat. FIFA sidelined FIFPro from a New York meeting about player welfare.

A war of words followed with Sergio Marchi, FIFPro president, criticising FIFA and likening Infantino to Roman emperor Nero. FIFA then accused FIFPro of engaging in “artificial PR battles” and demanded the union publish its annual financial accounts.

Last year, FIFPro filed a complaint with the European Commission against FIFA over the international match calendar.