Barcelona superstar and Ballon d’Or contender Raphinha has spoken out against FIFA and this year’s Club World Cup tournament, brandishing the lack of time off for those involved as ‘unacceptable’.
Raphinha’s comments reflect widespread concern for the growing workload soccer players are facing, with the 28-year-old suggesting that FIFA and other governing bodies have shown a continued disregard for player welfare: ‘You have to go, period, because we follow orders; we have to be there playing. And, as a player for a European club, giving up my vacation to play in a new tournament is very complicated.’
‘It's really bad having to give up your vacation to play something you're forced to, because at no point did they ask us players about anything. At no point did they ask us if we wanted to play or what the ideal dates were. They just said we had to go and that's it.’
Barcelona missed out on Club World Cup qualification this year as their FIFA co-efficient for the past four years is lower than that of Atletico Madrid, but Raphinha’s frustration demonstrates his concern for those who are involved and their lack of real choice over competing in the tournament.
The last few seasons have seen a significant increase in the number of elite players struggling with injuries, fatigue and burnout, coinciding with a reduction in recovery time between games and growing demand on players to perform in more matches.
Raphinha’s comments are not the only backlash that FIFA and President Gianni Infantino have received over what has been a highly controversial Club World Cup, with France’s Footballers’ Union describing the tournament as ‘a massacre’ in which Infantino is ‘trampling player welfare for money’.
While the Brazilian winger has been able to enjoy ‘three weeks of vacation’ in his native country, before Barcelona’s pre-season begins on July 13, he has emphasized that such time is ‘sacred’ and needs to be protected for all players as they face increasingly heavy physical tolls.
The Club World Cup, which also culminates on July 13, has continued to face criticism due to extreme weather conditions and injuries - exacerbating pre-tournament fears over the impact of the tournament's tight scheduling with the regular season.
While Raphinha’s comments reflect broad concern over what many are calling a player welfare crisis, rival fans will suggest that his complaints may also be stemmed from jealousy over Barcelona’s lack of involvement rather than genuine outrage.
The competition is proving to be a particularly large success in Raphinha's home continent of South America, offering fans the chance to see their teams face off against the very best in Europe and around the world, with Palmeiras set to face Chelsea on Friday night in the tournaments quarter-final.