The below statement from PFA Scotland Chief Executive, Fraser Wishart, is in response to FIFPRO and European Leagues filing a joint complaint to the European Commission on competition law grounds against FIFA regarding the international match calendar.
“From my position on the FIFPRO Europe Board, I have seen this situation develop. FIFA’s unilateral decision to become involved in the domestic competition has left FIFPRO Europe with no option to commence legal action. The squeeze on domestic match calendars and on player wellbeing has began and we cannot allow that to happen.
It is imperative that football’s governing bodies, both internationally and domestically, consult properly with players and their unions before making decisions that impact on their health and safety. Recent decisions around the International Match Calendar have been made unilaterally without any consultation of stakeholders. Decisions that impact players must be adopted through an inclusive process meaning proper consultation with FIFPRO.
It is welcome that European Leagues is working with FIFPRO Europe on this matter. Leagues know that more competitions and games are a serious threat to the sustainability of our domestic game in Scotland. To accommodate these new international competitions, pressure will come on domestic leagues across Europe to reduce the number of domestic league games and to cancel domestic cup competitions. This will lead to less income for our clubs, less employment opportunities for players and for supporters a poorer domestic competition and fewer games to watch.
This doesn’t just affect players at the highest level. We have seen Scotland play Georgia on 20th June 2023, with players unable to take a proper break before their pre season started. This summer we played in the Euros till 21st June, again with little time for many players to have a proper break and in the summer of 2025, there will be more international fixtures. When do our players get a proper break?
Theo Bair and Alastair Johnston played for Canada on 14th July, the day after our domestic season started and three weeks before the first league games. In Scotland the League Cup now starts mid July meaning that most clubs start pre season in mid June, often just a couple of weeks after the end of the previous season. The governing bodies simply cannot expect to add more games without there being an effect on players health and the quality of the games.
In recent years, the Premiership has had a winter break, but the squeeze happened; due to the increase in Champions League fixtures the winter break has been cancelled.
In response to feedback from our members, PFA Scotland recently conducted a survey of players from Championship and Leagues 1 and 2 regarding a winter break for those divisions. The result was overwhelming; 92% of the 440 responses were in favour of a winter break with many of those players having full time jobs and training at night. These players want a break; with the early start to the League Cup these players are playing and working for 11 months solid without respite.
Players are not robots; their mental and physical wellbeing must be considered when making decisions around fixtures and competitions.
Kind regards,
Fraser Wishart, Chief Executive.”
