FIFPRO to join UEFA Executive Committee in 2025

FIFPRO will aid in making decisions over players’ congested schedules in a calendar year.

In an effort to provide players greater voice on matters like the crowded schedule of games, UEFA is granting the professional footballer’s union a place on its executive committee.

On Tuesday, FIFPRO Europe and UEFA signed a working agreement that will “increase the voice of players in European football governance,” according to the union.

It occurs during a period when athletes, including Rodri, the winner of the Ballon d’Or, have threatened to go on strike in protest of the excessive amount of games in an overburdened schedule.

“UEFA has committed to involving FIFPRO Europe in any decision that could affect players’ employment conditions, or any potential competition reform that could impact players’ workload,” the union said in a statement from Paris where the accord was signed.

The three-year agreement was revealed in the same month in which the FIFPRO Europe union assisted in submitting a formal complaint against FIFA, the world soccer organization, but not UEFA, to the European Commission in Brussels.

FIFA allegedly violated EU competition law by expanding the men’s FIFA World Cup 2026 & the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 without enough consultation, according to a lawsuit filed by the European Players Union group and domestic leagues.

A fan-led reaction contributed to the project’s failure, following decisions made in 2021 and 2022 in response to pressure from elite clubs planning a breakaway Super League. In light of this, UEFA has added more games this year to its top club competitions, the Champions League and Europa League.

In order to advance to the round of 16 in the Champions League and Europa League, teams will now play eight games rather than six in the new league phase format.

Additionally, UEFA promised to include “active players and player representatives” in a Professional Players’ Advisory Forum beginning in December.

According to FIFPRO Europe, the union representative will join the UEFA executive committee in May. The European Leagues organization has one seat on the committee, whereas clubs currently hold a quota of two.

Following judicial verdicts that challenged their legitimacy to oversee football, mainly from the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, particularly in the Super League case launched by Real Madrid and Barcelona, UEFA and FIFA have taken steps in recent weeks to involve players more in making choices.

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