Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has accused UEFA and FIFA of “putting the health of players at risk” and “disrespecting the fans” in an attack on the global football calendar.
Speaking at the club’s annual general meeting in Madrid on Sunday morning, the 77-year-old blamed the expanded UEFA Champions League format and upcoming FIFA Club World Cup for jeopardising player welfare.
Madrid are one of 32 teams involved in next summer’s inaugural Club World Cup, which begins on June 15, just three weeks after the final round of La Liga fixtures.
“The calendar is linked to an alarming increase in injuries. UEFA and FIFA have added 14 matches of their own, equivalent to two and a half months of competition,” said Perez. “In total we have had 14 injuries and 22 injuries. We (have) already (had) nine cruciate injuries (in LaLiga).”
Perez cited findings from research conducted by global players’ union, FIFPro, which highlighted the unprecedented demands on active professionals.
FIFPro published their latest player workload report in September and has since teamed up with Europe’s domestic leagues, including La Liga, to file a formal legal complaint against FIFA at the European Commission.
“At Madrid, we have suffered seven cruciate injuries in the last 12 months. They are mainly caused by fatigue, according to the doctors consulted,” said Perez.
“This year the calendar has been busier than ever. It is striking that a player like Jude Bellingham has played 251 games. To make a comparison at his age, David Beckham had played 54 games.”
However, there is currently no evidence that suggests playing a high number of matches increases the chance of suffering a cruciate ligament injury.
FIFA hopes their newly-formed task force, led by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, will soon make science-based recommendations to help safeguard players’ physical and mental wellbeing.
Defender Eder Militao is one of several Real Madrid players to have suffered a serious knee injury in recent seasons (Photo by Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Perez added the volume of matches was devaluing the “quality of the spectacle” of the sport and risked “disrespecting fans”.
“Lack of rest affects players’ careers,” he said. “FIFA has created a Club World Cup that will deprive players of their usual rest. UEFA organised 488 official matches 10 years ago and has now moved to 769, just to make more money.”
He continued: “The new Champions League format has proved not to be a solution, as we predicted. It has increased the number of matches but reduced the value of each match. The competition will only arouse the passion of the fans at the end and not at the beginning, as expected.”
In May this year, Gianni Infantino defended FIFA’s role in the congested calendar, claiming football’s global governing body is responsible for organising “one per cent” of games involving “the top clubs in the world”.
Perez, who was re-elected for a fifth consecutive term in 2021, also criticised European football’s governing body over their involvement in the 2024 Ballon d’Or awards.
Madrid refused to send a delegation to the ceremony in Paris last month after being made aware that pre-event favourite Vinicius Junior had lost out to Manchester City midfielder Rodri.
The men’s and women’s awards are decided by 100 “specialised journalists” from across the globe, but Perez accused UEFA of choosing “journalists that nobody knows” to make up the panel.
“It’s very difficult to explain why someone from Real Madrid didn’t win it,” said Perez.
“I think the Ballon d’Or has to be organised independently and the votes have to be in the hands of people of prestige, national coaches for example, someone who knows that with their vote their prestige is at stake. That’s why Madrid felt we should not go to the gala.”
UEFA declined to comment when contacted by The Athletic.
(Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
