Sergio Marchi, president of the world’s main player union, FifPro, has embarked on an astonishing rant over FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino.
Marchi slammed the controversial rebrand of the Club World Cup and compared Infantino to Roman emperor Nero.
The comments come as Manchester City announced that they will participate in just one friendly before they commence their Premier League campaign on August 16, while Chelsea, after their triumph in New York, have under five weeks before their campaign starts.
While the competition has impacted clubs’ preparation for next season, the more pressing matter was the conditions the players had been playing in over in the States, with Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez labelling them as “very dangerous”.
Enzo Fernandez said games have been slower and less enjoyable to watch as players try to adapt to the scorching temperatures
GettyThe 24-year-old also reported feeling dizzy as a result, and claimed the tempo of games was significantly slower as players struggled to play in the heat.
While Infantino has claimed player welfare is at the centre of the tournament, temperatures have reached 38C and players and coaches made their feelings abundantly clear.
Incredibly, before Sunday’s final, it had been said that FIFA omitted FifPro from a “key” meeting regarding player welfare, promptly initiating a strong response from the union’s president Marchi.
The Argentinian released a scathing statement reading: “While the recent Club World Cup generated enthusiasm among numerous fans and allowed some of the world's leading figures to be seen in a single tournament, FifPro cannot fail to point out, with absolute clarity, that this competition hides a dangerous disconnect with the true reality experienced by most footballers around the world.
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Chelsea beat PSG 3-0 in the final to lift the Club World Cup on Sunday evening
Getty“What was presented as a global celebration of football was nothing more than a fiction created by FIFA, promoted by its president, without dialogue, sensitivity, and respect for those who sustain the game with their daily efforts.
“A grandiloquent staging inevitably reminiscent of the ‘bread and circuses’ of Nero's Rome, entertainment for the masses while behind the scenes inequality, precariousness, and the lack of protection for the true protagonists deepen.”
Roman emperor Nero, notorious for cruelty and eccentricity, marks an extraordinary comparison from the union.
The statement continued, slamming “unacceptable” conditions and an “overcrowded schedule” for players, a narrative that has become increasingly prevalent in press conferences in recent months.
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“The tournament was held under unacceptable conditions, with matches played at extremely hot times and in temperatures that put the players' physical safety at risk,” the statement added.
“This situation must not only be denounced, but must be firmly warned against. What happened cannot be repeated under any circumstances at next year's FIFA World Cup.
“At FifPro, we have been warning about the overcrowded schedule, the lack of physical and mental rest for players, and the lack of dialogue from FIFA.
“This way of organising tournaments, without listening to the Federation that represents the world's professional footballers' associations, is unilateral, authoritarian, and based solely on a logic of economic profitability, not human sustainability.
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Gianni Infantino has been slammed by FifPro, who claim the tournament was held in 'unacceptable conditions'
Getty
“We cannot continue to play with the health of players to fuel a marketing machine. There is no spectacle possible if the voices of the protagonists are silenced.
“At FifPro, we reiterate our commitment: we will firmly defend every right, denounce every abuse, and demand that Fifa adopt a truly inclusive policy that respects the integrity of footballers and places them at the centre of every decision.”
While over 80,000 were in attendance at Chelsea’s commanding 3-0 victory over PSG, along with the inaugural Half-Time Show, the integrity of the tournament has been questioned for its duration.
Infantino has been credited with being the brains behind the new-look competition, which raked in £750million in TV revenue from DAZN, leading to the Italian engraving his own name along with a passage claiming the sport had embarked on a “new age” and “golden era”.
The concerns surrounding the Club World Cup will undoubtedly now project themselves onto the upcoming World Cup, due to be held in Canada, the US and Mexico.
The row surrounding player welfare will also continue, and will likely gain more momentum after the Club World Cup, with UEFA increasing continental competition schedules, too.