FIFA very careful with calendar, player welfare, Infantino says

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said player health and welfare remains a key consideration for the global governing body amid concerns about expanding tournaments in an already crowded calendar.

Players’ union FIFPRO, Spain’s LaLiga and the European leagues’ group filed a joint complaint to European Union antitrust regulators earlier in October, accusing FIFA of “calendar abuse”.

Critics argue FIFA’s revamped quadrennial 32-team Club World Cup and other expanded tournaments will increase the number of matches each season and leave players with little time off between campaigns.

Infantino told CNN that the Club World Cup’s impact on player welfare would be limited.

“It is a competition which takes place once every four years. The winner plays seven games – which is like one game and a half, almost, more a year – so it doesn’t have a big impact,” he added.

“What happens is that there are many games for very few teams, very few players. Those who reach maybe the final stages of all competitions, which again is very rare … So all in all, it balances itself out quite a bit.

“But we’re very careful about the calendar and about the health of the players. I mean, we want to do everything for the players to be in the best conditions to perform in the best way …

“That’s what many players tell me as well, what you want is to play rather than to train, right?”

Infantino also said the FIFA taskforce led by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was analysing the impact of the Club World Cup on player welfare.