Madrid (EFE) her and that 66% had to ask for vacations or unpaid leave from work to do so.
FIFPRO unveiled on Tuesday research into the qualifying phase for Australia and New Zealand 2023, which shows the “extremely different conditions for players who compete at the highest level in their confederations and who compete” to be one of the 34 participating teams, and demanded “a single and universal classification standard, under the guidance of FIFA.”
Only UEFA made a specific classification process
“Based on the findings, FIFPRO urges a unique classification process, which provides the best players in the world with more opportunities to play and reach their full potential,” claimed the union, which included the results of a survey within the investigation. made to 362 players, which highlights “issues related to compensation, health, travel and recovery”.
The report points out that only UEFA provided a separate qualification process for the World Cup, with 12 home and away matches, while the other five confederations used their championships for this and in the case of CONCAFAC and CONMEBOL also served as qualifiers for the Olympic Games 2024.
FIFPRO pointed out that although four tournaments were held in July 2022, the Asian competition (AFC) was played at the beginning of 2022, outside the period designated by FIFA, so the players went through “the difficult situation of having to resign to important club matches”, something that “could negatively affect your position and opportunity with your main employer and main source of income”.
The union denounced that “the qualification routes for the World Cup were uneven and disparate”, with “numerous inconsistencies in the programming, the duration, the format and the conditions between tournaments”.
70% of the respondents did not have a previous coronary check-up
The research was completed with a survey, the first of its kind on the women’s World Cup qualifying phase, for the players to rate their experiences in the process over the last 18 months, in which they were asked to what extent they required improve areas such as health and safety, programming or playing conditions.
The sample confirms that almost a third of the players -29 percent- did not receive any compensation for their participation in qualifying for the World Cup and 66% percent had to request unpaid leave or vacations from another job to play with their National selection.
According to it, 70% did not undergo an ECG coronary check-up before the tournament; 54% had not previously received medical attention; 39% did not have access to mental health support; 33% stated that they had insufficient recovery time between games and 32% that the fields and stadiums did not reach the elite standard.
66% also stated that the recovery facilities were not up to the elite standard, or simply did not exist; 70% that the gym facilities were not up to the elite standard and 59% percent flew economy class, including long-haul flights.
Aganzo: “the classification must also reach the elite standard”
The president of the world union and the Association of Spanish Soccer Players (AFE), David Aganzo, assured that “we must ensure that the framework of the game sits on a solid foundation and promotes equality, justice and best practices for the players. regardless of where they compete.
“For the FIFA Women’s World Cup to truly be a global elite event, qualification must also meet the elite standard. We remain tremendously excited about the potential of women’s football, but it is vital to provide female footballers around the world with conditions and opportunities that provide them with the best platform on the world stage, so that they and the game flourish everywhere,” she added. .
For her part, Sarah Gregorius, Director of Global Policy and Strategic Relations at FIFPRO, pointed out that “an evidence-based report is vital to identify key areas for improvement and, through the connection between our unions and their players, we have been able to cultivate a series of conceptions at regional and global level”.
“We thank the players for their willingness to share their experiences. It is through the voice of those who live and encourage the game, that we can move forward as an industry”, added the FIFPRO representative, who highlighted FIFA’s commitment to equalize the amount of the tournament prize before the 2027 edition and the campaign carried out by more than 150 players from 25 teams, to achieve equal conditions in the 2023 World Cup in areas such as travel, accommodation and delegation size.