Is The Modern Football Calendar Straining Players Beyond Their Limits?
By Maxwell Kablan
In recent years, the football calendar has expanded, and players are increasingly playing more games each season. As fixtures continue to increase year by year, this will have considerable effects on not only the players themselves, but the quality of football played.
This article will assess the current trends in football fixtures, the legal implications of tournament expansion (specifically the FIFA Club World Cup 2025) and finally, what to expect in the future.
Current Trends
As major sports federations have looked for ways to generate greater income, one of the ways they have done so is by expanding their tournaments, allowing more games, generating more sponsorship and broadcast revenue. In August of this year, UEFA revamped its Champions League, Europa League and Conference League formats, where each team will play a greater number of games, with each competition expanding from 32 to 36 teams. [1] The Champions League will have 64 more games [2], the Europa League will have 48 more games [3], and the Conference League will have 12 more games. [4]
Additionally, FIFA has also expanded the FIFA World Cup, where the number of teams participating will increase from 32 teams to 48 in the 2026 World Cup, with 40 more games than the 2022 World Cup. [5] FIFA have also gone as far as expanding the FIFA Club World Cup, which will debut in its new form in June 2025. [6] This competition will expand from 7 teams in 2023 to 32 teams, with 56 more matches being played. [7]
The pattern of the number of fixtures increasing has already had a detrimental effect on players. Manchester City player Rodri, who played 63 times in all competitions during the 2023/24 season [8], suffered a season-long injury in September, only 5 days after threatening to strike over the football calendar. [9] As the number of fixtures continues to rise, the number of long-lasting injuries will only increase. FIFPRO, a trade union which represents footballers worldwide, monitored player workload for 1500 players during last season, and found that 54% experienced excessive or high workload demands. [10]
Additionally, a recent survey carried out by the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) during the 2023/24 season found that 68% of over 1,000 male and female professional footballers have experienced negative mental health due to the fear of injury. [11] Moreover, 45% had fears about their performance levels dropping, while 41% had fears of being dropped. [12]
It is clear that the number of matches is having an adverse effect on player workload, and as new tournament structures continue to be implemented, the damage could only deepen.
Legal Implications
The main legal challenge to the increase in matches in modern football comes in the form of FIFPRO, who submitted a legal claim against FIFA in June this year for unilaterally setting the International Match Calendar with the FIFA Club World Cup. [13] In other words, they claim that the players did not have a reasonable say in FIFA’s decision to expand the competition and the number of fixtures.
In July, FIFPRO agreed to file a joint complaint with European Leagues and La Liga to the European Commission [14], and this complaint was officially filed earlier this month. [15] Under the complaint, FIFPRO and European Leagues (represented before the Brussels Court of Commerce) will argue that FIFA’s international calendar abuses its market dominance and that it violates the rights of players under European Union law. [16]
In relation to FIFA abusing its market dominance, FIFPRO, European Leagues and La Liga will claim that FIFA benefits from both the roles as a governing body and a competition organiser, and that it uses its regulatory power to promote its own commercial interests, without adequately considering the interests of its players and leagues. [17]
Regarding the violation of European Law, the parties will argue that FIFA’s actions violate the rights of players and unions under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights [18], by infringing on the rights players have as employees and under trade unions. [19] The case will be heard by the European Court of Justice on the basis of 4 questions.
Firstly, the court will have to decide if the articles in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights stop FIFA from scheduling the Club World Cup in a period when players would generally have their annual break. [20] The articles which will be assessed are: i) prohibition of forced and compulsory labour (Article 5) [21], ii) freedom of work (Article 15) [22], iii) the right to negotiate and conclude collective agreements (Article 28) [23], iv) the right to healthy working conditions (Article 31) [24] and v) the right to an annual period of paid leave (also Article 31). [25]
Crucially, the Club World Cup will be played in a year without an international football tournament, so it effectively replaces the break players would have had. Therefore, the parties could have a strong claim that this breaches any one of these articles, particularly under Article 5 and Article 31.
Secondly, the court must decide if the unilateral imposition of the Club World Cup (without considering player opinions) breaches Article 28 of the Charter. [26] Here, FIFPRO, European Leagues and La Liga could have a strong claim to argue that players had no bargaining power to negotiate the terms of FIFA’s International Match Calendar and the FIFA Club World Cup, as they were not appropriately included in the discussions.
Thirdly, the court must decide if the additional workload players will be under during the 2025 World Cup violates Article 28. [27] Here, the parties could claim that the players being overworked as a result of fixture congestion comes with a direct threat to player health.
Lastly, the court must decide if the International Match Calendar and the Club World Cup give rise to restrictions of competitions under Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. [28] The parties will need to prove that FIFA’s actions prevent, restrict or distort competition. [29] They could argue that by obtaining a large proportion of the football calendar, FIFA restricts the access players have to other competitions, and this makes it harder for rival competitions to establish themselves. [30]
What Can We Expect In The Future?
The impact of the decision is likely to have a big impact across football. If FIFA’s actions are shown to be incompatible with EU Law, it could change the football calendar as we know it. FIFPRO, European Leagues and La Liga make it clear that taking legal action is the only reasonable step to protect football players from working conditions which they deem as harmful. [31]
If their claim is successful, it could force FIFA to negotiate with clubs and players reasonably before making such expansions to competitions and fixtures. It could also open up the floodgates for claims to be made against other organisations like UEFA for their recent expansions. As FIFA’s transfer rules were proven to be unlawful earlier this month [32], this challenge from FIFPRO, European Leagues and La Liga arguably does not come at a better time.
If reasonable changes are not made to the football calendar, the quality of football at display is likely to diminish, and clubs will seek alternative ways of managing their players’ fitness. For instance, Chelsea did not include Cole Palmer, PFA Young Player of the Year last season, in their UEFA Conference League squad for this season in order to manage the fixture congestion. [33]
Clubs leaving their top players out of such competitions will only damage the growth of newly introduced sports competitions. It is essential that sports federations prioritise resolving the fixture congestion issues with players and clubs. Otherwise, players striking may be the only option.
Sources
[1] UEFA, ‘Champions League, Europa League and Conference league phase draws: All you need to know about the European Club Football Season Kick-off in Monaco’ https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0290-1bae12b1cac5-290efb63f023-1000--champions-league-europa-league-and-conference-league-lea/ last accessed 31st October 2024.
[2] TNT Sports, ‘New Champions League 2024/25 Format, qualified teams, league phase, knockout stage, number of matches and more’ https://www.tntsports.co.uk/football/champions-league/2024-2025/format-qualified-teams-league-phase-knockout-stage-number-of-matches_sto20016829/story.shtml last accessed 31st October 2024.
[3] Wikipedia, ‘2024-25 UEFA Europa League’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024%E2%80%9325_UEFA_Europa_League#:~:text=This%20is%20the%20first%20season,rounds)%20from%20141%20to%20189. last accessed 31st October 2024.
[4] UEFA, ‘2024/25 Conference League: Teams, format, dates, draws, final’ https://www.uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague/news/0290-1bae118124f0-2a9660de6583-1000--2024-25-conference-league-teams-format-dates-draws-final/ last accessed 31st October 2024.
[5] Sky Sports, ‘World Cup 2026: Tournament to increase by 40 matches to 104 fixtures as part of 48-team expansion’ https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12833525/world-cup-2026-tournament-to-increase-by-40-matches-to-104-fixtures-as-part-of-48-team-expansion last accessed 31st October 2024.
[6] BBC, ‘FIFA names 12 US stadiums for 2025 Club World Cup’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c17lw80kpdvo#:~:text=The%20tournament%2C%20which%20will%20run,Mercedes%2DBenz%20Stadium%2C%20Atlanta last accessed 31st October 2024.
[7] Sporting News, ‘Rodri stats 2023 -24: Goals, trophies, and incredible unbeaten run of Man City’s and Spain’s Ballon d’Or contender’ https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/premier-league/news/rodri-stats-2023-24-goals-trophies-unbeaten-run-man-city-spain/50fa28694e2a933232e62259
[8] Sky Sports, ‘Rodri injury, Man City boss Pep Guardiola confirms midfielder’s season is over’ https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13222993/rodri-injury-man-city-boss-pep-guardioal-confirms-midfielders-season-is-over last accessed 31st October 2024.
[9] Sky Sports, ‘Rodri injury, Man City boss Pep Guardiola confirms midfielder’s season is over’ https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13222993/rodri-injury-man-city-boss-pep-guardioal-confirms-midfielders-season-is-over last accessed 31st October 2024
[10] FIFPRO, ‘Seven key findings from FIFPRO’s latest workload report’ https://fifpro.org/en/player-iq/men-s-player-workload-monitoring/seven-key-findings-from-fifpro-s-latest-workload-report last accessed 31st October 2024.
[11] Professional Footballers Association, ‘Over two-thirds of professional footballers say fear of injury negatively affects mental wellbeing, PFA survey finds’ https://www.thepfa.com/news/2024/10/10/world-mental-health-day-2024#:~:text=The%20assessments%20found%20that%2068,concerns%20negatively%20affecting%20mental%20health. Last accessed 31st October 2024
[12] n(11).
[13] FIFPRO, ‘FIFPRO Europe Statement: Legal Claim against FIFA’ https://fifpro.org/en/supporting-players/health-and-performance/player-workload/fifpro-europe-statement-legal-claim-against-fifa last accessed 31st October 2024.
[14] FIFPRO, ‘European Leagues, FIFPRO Europe to file joint complaint to European Commission against FIFA regarding international match calendar’ https://www.fifpro.org/en/who-we-are/what-we-do/foundations-of-work/european-leagues-and-fifpro-europe-to-file-joint-complaint-to-european-commission-against-fifa-regarding-international-match-calendar last accessed 31st October 2024.
[15] FIFPRO, ‘Player unions and leagues file complaint to European Commission over FIFA's imposition of international match calendar’ https://fifpro.org/en/who-we-are/what-we-do/foundations-of-work/player-unions-and-leagues-file-complaint-to-european-commission-over-fifa-s-imposition-of-international-match-calendar last accessed 31st October 2024.
[16] n(15).
[17] n(15).
[18] Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
[19] LawInSport, ‘Nobody asks the players: Why FIFPRO are challenging FIFA’s international match calendar and expanded Club World Cup’ last accessed 31st October 2024.
[20] n(13).
[21] n(18) Art 5.
[22] n(18) Art 15.
[23] n(18) Art 28.
[24] n(18) Art 31.
[25] n(18) Art 31.
[26] n(23)
[27] n(23)
[28] Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Article 101.
[29] n(28).
[30] n(19).
[31] n(14).
[32] Sky Sports, ‘Transfer news: Court verdict on FIFA's transfer rules will 'change football landscape', says world players' union’ https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13227750/transfer-news-court-verdict-on-fifas-transfer-rules-will-change-football-landscape-says-world-players-union last accessed 31st October 2024.
[33] TNT Sports, ‘Cole Palmer: Enzo Maresca defends decision to amid Chelsea forward from UEFA Conference League squad’ https://www.tntsports.co.uk/football/uefa-europa-conference-league/2024-2025/cole-palmer-enzo-maresca-chelsea-conference-league-squad-needs-to-be-protected_sto20042047/story.shtml last accessed 31st October 2024.
