FIFA has appointed former Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger as the leader of a new task force designed to protect player welfare after increasing criticism over a bloated football calendar.
Wenger’s appointment comes after UEFA announced a new collaborative agreement with FIFPro – the global football player’s union body – which will now allow selected professional players a union seat on the UEFA Executive Committee.
This move will allow players to bring forward any concerns they feel the wider football player association may have, particularly on the increasing amount of average games players are facing each year.
One of the biggest critics of the overload on player welfare is the recently awarded Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who is currently set to be sidelined for the rest of the 2024/25 season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained during Manchester City’s game against Arsenal.
Prior to picking up the season-ending injury, Rodri hinted at the idea of a player strike against the number of increasing games that are being added to the football calendar.
The new three-year agreement between UEFA and FIFPro will look to give players a voice on the European football organisation’s board and understand some of the challenges they are concerned about.
A FIFPro statement read: “UEFA has committed to involving FIFPro Europe in any decision that could affect players’ employment conditions, or any potential competition reform that could impact players’ workload.”
UEFA has contributed to the overload in matches over the years by introducing additional matches during the newly reformatted Champions League, introduced this season.
Clubs are now required to play an additional two matches as part of the Champions League group phase, with teams qualifying for the playoff rounds expected to play two-legged fixtures.
But it’s not just UEFA adding to players’ workload. FIFA has also reformatted its Club World Cup competition to include 32 teams across different FIFA Confederations. The new format will be introduced this summer and held in the US.
This new FIFA Club World Cup competition has been cited by many within the game to be unnecessary, with Real Madrid Manager Carlo Ancelotti even going as far to say this team will not compete in the competition next summer and still remains up in the air.
Earlier this year, Insider Sport also heard Aston Villa’s John McGinn voice his concerns on the calendar at a press conference. He said: “I think there is a part of it that’s getting a little bit out of hand, especially the club World Cup next season.”
As many professionals began to take a stance against the increasing amount of competition games, FIFPro filed a legal complaint to FIFA and UEFA regarding a claim of “abuse of dominance”.
Now with an agreement in place between UEFA and FIFPro, Wenger’s role as head of the new player welfare task force will see the Frenchman assess the current safeguards around players and consider new practical measures to FIFA.
A FIFA statement read: “The objective of the taskforce is to examine how suitable and effective safeguards for players can be implemented, also taking into account practical considerations from operational, medical, regulatory and legal perspectives.”
While it is unclear which players may sit on the UEFA Executive Committee, Rodri may be considered due to being a leading voice against FIFA and UEFA.
