Sports
European Football Chiefs, FIFPRO Slam FIFA Over Schedule
- /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/club-1000x600.jpg&description=European Football Chiefs, FIFPRO Slam FIFA Over Schedule', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/club-1000x600.jpg&description=European Football Chiefs, FIFPRO Slam FIFA Over Schedule', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
European football chiefs and the global players’ union, FIFPRO, united on Monday to criticise FIFA over the global football calendar as they filed an antitrust complaint against the global football governing body.
FIFPRO and the European Leagues, which represents 37 domestic leagues, jointly filed the complaint at the European Commission in Brussels in which they argue global football’s governing body FIFA is abusing its right as both tournament organiser and regulator.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas said Monday has been “one of the most important days in football” and compared the case to that against the failed European Super League, while Premier League boss Richard Masters said in a statement that football has reached a “tipping point.”
LaLiga is not a member of the European Leagues but it is a part of Monday’s complaint.
FIFA declined to comment at this stage when approached by ESPN.
FIFPRO, the worldwide representative organisation for professional footballers, said it has tried to negotiate the issue with FIFA but said the governing body has “consistently refused” to consult them. It has also described FIFA’s intention to host its expanded Club World Cup competition in the United States this summer as a step too far.
However, a source told ESPN this summer’s competition is unlikely to be impacted given the short amount of time before it takes place.
“Today is one of the most important days in football,” Tebas said.
“For me, there’s been two historical days in football. One in 2019 when we stopped a reform of the Super League and today we’ve given a very important step in what we believe is the path of changing the governance of football institutions and we’re not going to let this opportunity get away.”
Player workload been a hot topic in football over recent seasons, with players and coaches repeatedly urging organisers to condense the schedule and allow players more rest. Last month, Manchester City midfielder Rodri said players are “close” to going on strike over the issue.
“It is getting to a tipping point,” Masters said in a statement.
“The feedback we have from players is that there is too much football being played and there is constant expansion. The Premier League hasn’t changed shape. What has changed over the last few decades is the march of international and regional football competitions.”
Serie A chief executive Luigi De Siervo said: “Serie A, like almost all other European Leagues, in the last 20 years hasn’t increased the number of games.
“On the contrary FIFA and UEFA, cycle after cycle, have increased constantly the size of their competitions for both clubs and national teams and we have now reached a saturation point in the calendar.”
FIFA argues that its most recent calendar, set through to 2030, was approved by its council which “included FIFPRO and league bodies.”
It said in July, when the antitrust complaint was first announced: “FIFA’s calendar is the only instrument ensuring that international football can continue to survive, co-exist, and prosper alongside domestic and continental club football.”
A source told ESPN that FIFA believes the Club World Cup will have a minimal impact on the football calendar or on player welfare, given it will be held once every four years, featuring a maximum of seven games.
A recent analysis published by Opta shows that, while City played the most games last season (59), the majority of teams in Europe played fewer than 50 matches, with five Premier League sides playing 42 games last season — just four more than the league season.
Another recent paper by CIES Football Observatory found there is only a minor difference in the number of games players play per season compared to previous decades.
However, FIFPRO said their research shows 72% of players are in support of reducing the calendar and ensuring a mandate rest period, as well as data that says 17% of players made over 55 appearances last season and 30% had a sequence of six “back-to-back” matches.
FIFPRO and the European Leagues argue that FIFA is abusing its status as a governing body and tournament organiser, saying the body favours its own competitions rather than looking out for player welfare.
“Enough is enough, we can’t take it anymore,” Mathieu Moreuil, Premier League director of international football relations and EU affairs, said.
“We have now an international match calendar which is beyond saturation… We’ve tried to engage with FIFA on that for years now without any positive response. So enough is enough.”
The antitrust complaint is not the only case against FIFA regarding the international match calendar. Domestic players unions in England, France and Italy took legal action against the governing body at the Brussels Court of Commerce in June and they are attempting to have the case tried at the European Court of Justice.
That case centres on employment law and players’ rights to holiday. One of their aims is to have a mandated rest period — between three to four weeks per year — for players to recuperate.
European governing body UEFA has also increased its schedule, notably with the new Champions League and Europa League formats, but has not been targeted in the complaint to regulators.
Moreuil said that was because FIFA was responsible for the international calendar and relations were different with UEFA thanks to dialogue.
Paris Saint-Germain sit top of the Champions League table after Match Day 1 fixtures.
The current holders thrashed Slovan Bratislavia 6-1 at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.
They are only ahead of Bayern Munich on goal difference. The Bundesliga champions put a goalless first half behind them to crush Bodo/Glimt 5-0 on Thursday.
The top five places are completed by Barcelona, Manchester United and Como 1907.
The bottom three teams are Sabah FC, Slovan Bratislava and Bodo/Glimt.
Match Day 2 fixtures will be played in the week that begins October 13.
After each club has played eight matches, the top eight move into the last 16 and those ranked between ninth and 24th will go to the play-offs.
Nigeria’s Falconets remain in contention for a place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after playing out a goalless draw with China at Arena Sosnowiec in Poland.
The result earned Nigeria their first point in Group F, following their 2-0 defeat to Spain in their opening game.
The Falconets created opportunities against China but were unable to convert any of their chances as both sides settled for a share of the points.
China entered the encounter on the back of a 5-0 victory over New Caledonia and moved to four points, leaving them second in the group.
Spain lead the standings on six points and have already booked their place in the Round of 16. The European side opened the competition with a 2-0 victory over Nigeria before recording one of the biggest wins in the tournament’s history.
Nigeria’s final group game will be against New Caledonia on Sunday, September 13, with the Falconets needing a positive result to keep their campaign going.
Another dropped point could bring their World Cup journey to an end.
The Federal Government has paid the naira equivalent of $100,000 to each player of Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, completing the cash component of the Presidential Rewards announced after the team’s historic triumph at the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) also confirmed that each team official received the naira equivalent of $50,000.
According to the commission, the payments were made on September 9, 2026, and all players and officials have confirmed receipt of the funds.
D’Tigress made history by winning the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket title for a record fifth consecutive time and seventh time overall, further cementing Nigeria’s dominance in women’s basketball on the continent.
The NSC said the latest payment means the Federal Government has now fulfilled all components of the rewards promised by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the team.
In a statement signed by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Kehinde Ajayi, on Wednesday, the commission said the package comprised three-bedroom apartments in Abuja, national honours and cash awards.
«“The entire presidential rewards promised to each member of the team by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, comprising a 3-Bedroom flat in Abuja, national honours of OON and Naira equivalent of $100,000 to players and $50,000 to officials have been fully redeemed and completed,” the statement said.»
The commission recalled that D’Tigress players and officials had earlier received the title documents to their three-bedroom apartments in Abuja, as well as certificates confirming their national honours.
The documents were presented in February 2026 during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Lyon, France, and were duly signed by President Tinubu.
The NSC said the cash component was subsequently processed following the team’s participation in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany.
Super Falcons Next in Line
The commission also provided an update on the Presidential Rewards promised to Nigeria’s senior women’s football team, the Super Falcons, following their achievements on the international stage.
The Falcons have already received title documents for their three-bedroom apartments in Abuja and certificates of national honours.
The documents were presented during the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, held in July and August.
The NSC said the cash component of the Falcons’ reward is expected to be paid before their next official engagements.
Under the package, each Super Falcons player is entitled to the naira equivalent of $100,000, while each official is to receive $50,000.
FG: Athlete Welfare a Priority
The National Sports Commission described the reward programme as part of the Federal Government’s broader effort to improve the welfare of Nigerian athletes and recognise outstanding sporting achievements.
The commission said the initiative aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope and Shared Prosperity agenda, which it said places athletes’ welfare and appropriate rewards high on the government’s priorities.
It also commended President Tinubu for his support for Nigerian sports, saying his policies had strengthened the commission’s reform efforts and contributed to the development of a more sustainable sports economy.
The NSC further acknowledged the contributions of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
According to the commission, the collaboration helped ensure that the Presidential Rewards were implemented “in record time within the due process requirements.”
The payment brings to a close the Federal Government’s reward package for the D’Tigress players and officials, following their his
Auditor-General Flags ₦522.4m Aviation Ministry Payments for Undelivered Guns, Ammunition
Nigerian Bishop Shot Dead in Johannesburg
SAD! Reigning Miss Austria Beauty Queen Dies At 22
-
News22 hours agoArewa Group Rejects Viral ‘Anti-North’ Akpabio Quote, Commends Senate President for Promoting National Unity
-
News22 hours agoNCC Moves to Block Unapproved Phones From Nigerian Networks — What Users Must Know
-
News22 hours ago‘ War Will End Immediately After Election’ — Trump Speaks On Iran Crisis
-
News22 hours agoOil Prices Soar Above $100 as Middle East Tensions Raise Fresh Global Supply Fears
-
Economy21 hours agoSee Black Market Dollar to Naira exchange rate today 10th September 2026
-
Economy5 hours agoCheck Out Full List Of Approved Channels To Buy Dangote Refinery IPO
-
News22 hours agoCourt Grants 67-Year-Old UK-Based Nigerian Woman N150m Bail Over Alleged 13kg Cocaine Shipment
-
News18 hours ago2023 Poll: “I Knew We Would Lose” — Okowa Reveals What He Told Christian Leaders Before Election
Warning: Undefined variable $user_ID in /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/themes/zox-news/comments.php on line 49
You must be logged in to post a comment Login