With Gianni Infantino dubbing the FIFA Club World Cup a self-proclaimed success, not everyone is happy – in fact far from it.
The Swiss businessman claimed a new ‘golden era of club football has begun’ while speaking in his new office in Trump Tower, but viewing figures and attendances in the US disagree.
On top of that temperatures have been condemned by players and coaches, while stormy weather causing multiple match delays has even led to victorious Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca furiously saying the competition shouldn’t be in the US.
Yet the longest-held complaint has been the lack of space in the calendar for the 32-team tournament, and someone at the heart of that conversation has now had his say.
FIFPro president Sergio Marchi, whose job it is to ensure player safety, said: “Infantino behaves like a man who thinks he’s God.
“This competition hides a dangerous disconnect from the daily reality of players around the world.
“FIFA continues to increase its profits on the backs of those who play. It is impossible to organise a show if we do not listen to the voices of the protagonists.
“It is time for the players to be truly put at the centre of the game. We played in unacceptable temperatures, endangering the health of the players.
“This is something serious that cannot happen again at next year’s World Cup.”
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