The world soccer union Fifpro has published a devastating report on the conditions of the internationals who participated in the qualifying phase for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand that takes place from July 20 to August 20. Their conclusions reveal data as alarming as that only 40% of the soccer players who played in these tournaments considered themselves professionals. A worrying figure if we take into account that it is a competition that gives access to play in a World Cup and, therefore, brings together the best athletes from each country.
As a consequence of non-professionalization, up to 66% of the soccer players had to ask for permission from their second job to be able to participate in the qualifying tournaments that took place throughout the past year in the different confederations. In the Fifpro report they collect anonymous testimonies such as that of a UEFA player who regrets not receiving “sufficient financial support” from her federation. “Some of the girls have had unpaid vacations from their jobs and it wasn’t even certain that they would be able to attend the tournament.”
A large percentage of athletes cannot dedicate themselves exclusively to their sports career due, among other reasons, to the low pay they receive in many cases. Most federations pay their internationals to participate in rallies or tournaments, with bonuses for the results obtained. Only a symbolic 8% receive a monthly salary from their federation and an embarrassing 29% say they have not received any payment from their team.
The Fifpro report also refers to other issues that concern soccer players, such as their physical and mental health, the accumulation of matches, the quality of infrastructure or travel conditions. More than half of the respondents (54%) admit that they have not undergone any medical check-up prior to the tournament and up to 70% admit that they have not had an electrocardiogram either.
The players are concerned that the competition calendar is getting tighter and they are concerned about the little rest time they have between matches with their clubs and with the national team, a time that in many cases is only one day . In addition, they denounce that the training fields, stadiums, gyms and other facilities do not reach the elite standard and must be substantially improved. Also the conditions in which they travel, since only 13% of the athletes admit to traveling preferentially, the majority travel by plane in economy class, despite the negative effects on their sports performance.
