Dec 18,2024
World players' union FIFPro is calling for new measures to protect athletes after its new study highlighted the effects of "disproportionate development" on women's football.
The report revealed that while some players are "overstretched by many matches", the majority have too few, while new competitions have resulted in "lopsided" growth.
FIFPro is petitioning for mandatory breaks and minimum conditions for travelling, with players like Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati making 44 international trips in just two years, crossing time zones in all of them.
"There is a two-speed development of women's football," said Dr Alex Culvin, FIFPro's director of policy and strategic relations for women's football.
"There are players who are squeezed by the calendar and the high cadence of games; this is an issue that is rightly gaining more attention.
"Yet there are a larger proportion of players who do not have enough competitive matches and are often overlooked.
"Putting players at the centre of any, and all, dialogue on the calendar and the regularity of games is key to finding solutions.
"It is important that all stakeholders recognise the depth and diversity of the issues and work together to create a more balanced calendar that, whilst continuing to accelerate growth, also creates more competitive opportunities and provides guaranteed rest periods."
Spain and Barcelona star Bonmati spent 7550 minutes in transit between mid-July 2022 and mid-July 2023 - the equivalent of nearly 84 football matches, and enough miles to have travelled around the equator nearly two-and-a-quarter times.
Bonmati's fellow World Cup winner Mariona Caldentey played in 64 games last season as a member of Champions League winners Barcelona, more than anyone in FIFPro's study of 300 players.
The Arsenal forward's workload last term was nearly double the amount of the average player, who featured in 33 games.
FIFPro would like to see mandatory off-season breaks of four weeks and in-season breaks of two weeks to protect players from overload alongside minimum standards for preparation and recovery alongside travel.
Findings from the report, titled 'From High-Usage to Underload: A Tale of Two Industries', has also led to a call for new competitions or the expansion of leagues and other competitions to provide more games for underloaded players.
FIFPro notes that while leagues in Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden and the United States have expanded, or plan to expand, England's Women's Super League has not expanded since 2018, when it also became fully professional.
Three new major national team competitions have been launched or announced since the 2022/23 season, including a second-tier UEFA club competition launching in 2025, but some regions are being left behind.
FIFPro feels "growth in some regions remains stagnant and lacking", noting "there are no new regional competitions planned in South America, Africa or Oceania".
The report adds: "Competition growth in general seems to be 'lopsided': more tournaments and playing opportunities are added for top international players, while the underload problem persists for many."
