World’s best footballers closer to strike, say Club World Cup a ‘Super League’ in disguise
Head of union Fifpro Europe warns industrial action has never been closer, after group files complaint with antitrust regulators
Players have never been closer to going on strike amid growing discontent towards football’s governing bodies, notably Fifa and its revamped Club World Cup that is being compared to a ‘Super League’, the head of players’ union Fifpro Europe said on Monday.
David Terrier was speaking to Reuters after Fifpro Europe, the European Leagues association and Spain’s La Liga accused Fifa of “abuse” as they filed a joint complaint about the global governing body’s international match schedule to European Union antitrust regulators.
Terrier said only “social dialogue” between the sport’s stakeholders could save its ecosystem.
“Obviously as a union leader I should be dreaming of a strike because it gives you more power, but I’m very attached to the concept of social dialogue,” Terrier said.
“It would be a serious failure to get to that extreme but this extreme is getting closer every day. The European Union must remind everyone and tell them they have to go through social dialogue.”
In a joint press conference on Monday, Fifpro Europe, European Leagues and La Liga lashed out at Fifa’s packed match calendar, airing videos of players, including France captain Kylian Mbappe, saying they had too many matches on their plate.
