Trust FIFA to come out with yet more nonsense in order to try and deflect the ire coming their way over decisions that mean clubs and players have to travel to and play in yet more tournaments.
The games’ governing body are already making the Club World Cup a ridiculous mini-tournament from 2025, and this will fall slap bang in the middle of a season.
FIFA were believed to have hit back at the Premier League, suggesting that if the English authorities really did care about player welfare, they wouldn’t send them to all corners of the world during pre-season.
Former agent and co-creator of the Premier League, Jon Smith, isn’t impressed.
Former agent not impressed with FIFA
“I think FIFA’s comments were actually protective of themselves and disingenuous,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.
“This is all about money. I’m sorry, there’s no other part of this. It’s not for the benefit of the game. What’s the new format of the Club World Cup going to offer the game that it doesn’t already have? This is all about additional income.
“I think player welfare is absolutely paramount, that and fan well being.
“I still believe that what’s going to happen is that the Club World Cup will ultimately morph into a Super League of some construction – though it won’t be called a Super League for obvious reasons.
“I think the money will come out of the Gulf within the next five years that competition will evolve because the dates are already in the calendar.
“Pre-season tours only stress a player’s body marginally, and the fact that you’re going to America or in some cases even Australia doesn’t matter because players have the best medical support and support more generally available.
“It’s not overly taxing their bodies unlike flying around the world for a Club World Cup during the middle of the season when energy levels need to be conserved.
“Why do you think so many players get injured and stay injured longer? Because we’re patching them up quickly to get them back.
“I support the PFA and the EPL completely on this. Player welfare is a major part of the game and needs to be reviewed urgently now, because you can’t keep adding more and more games.
“You have to balance player well being and squad success.”
One only had to look at England’s Harry Kane during the European Championship to see just how tired he was.
It was believed he had a back injury towards the end of the domestic campaign, and if he hadn’t completely recovered from the same before being thrust straight back in to elite level competition, it’s truly a surprise that he didn’t succumb to an extended period on the sidelines.
Kane isn’t the only player suffering from the incessant need to keep playing matches either.
We’re not quite at the point yet where there will be a player revolt, but it doesn’t appear to be that far off either.