The high loads of top soccer players again call up a large union. The FIFPRO makes concrete claims, about at least four weeks of vacation and one day off a week.
For many years, the increasingly higher burdens in professional football have been sued, especially about those of top players who have been represented in international competitions with their clubs for a long time and with their national teams at big tournaments.
The FIFPRO player union, which is active worldwide and represents more than 60,000 professional footballers, now derived claims from her study, which she published on Thursday (June 13, 2025).
Study after the Delphi procedure
The study was carried out using 70 experts from medicine and performance diagnostics according to the Delphi procedure. The Delphi procedure provides for multiple surveys among the participants. The results of the individual retail groups are communicated to the participants. In the end, derivatives are formed, to which everyone can communicate.
The experts surveyed by the FIFPro came to the following twelve demands for professional footballers after three hours of surgery:
- At least four weeks of break between the seasons without training and a trip with club or national team. There should also be no media appointments on this vacation.
- During this break, the players should guarantee two weeks of completely calm, so no contact with the club or national team.
- After the four -week vacation, the preparation time until the first competitive game should also be at least four weeks.
- Optionally, the clubs should offer the players a monitoring during the four-week break, for example in the form of a training and wellness program.
- Between two missions should be at least two days of break for regeneration. (The FIFPro defines a use as a game with at least 45 minutes of use)
- An injured player must be declared ready for use by a doctor of his own club. So he cannot report fit himself.
- Players should have a day off every week.
- There should be at least one week of vacation during the season. Similar to the long break, there should be no travel, no training and no media activities during this time.
- When creating the calendar, the tiredness caused by travel and the stress Duch jetlag should be taken into account.
- After a long -haul flight, a player should get a break. Example: South American or Asian professionals who only return to Europe on Thursdays should not be taken into account for a game on Friday.
- For players under the age of 18, special guidelines are to be developed that prevent overload at a young age.
- For players under the age of 21, there should be further investigations as to whether special guidelines should also be developed for them.
FIFPRO and FIFA across cross
Even if the FIFPRO represents many and very prominent professionals, it should be very difficult to implement the demands. The relationship with the World Association FIFA, which largely determines the calendar, has cooled.
This also contributes to this, with which league associations and unions want to force a say in the creation of the calendar.
Reality far from the Desired presentation removed
A number of professionals from Paris Saint-Germain, such as the three Portuguese Vitinha, Nuno Mendes and João Neves, show how far the reality of the FIFPRO demands. You have 34 game days in Ligue 1 in which you became champions. They also won the national trophy, as well as the Champions League.
Four days after the final in Munich against Inter Milan, the trio met Germany in the semi -finals of the Nations League with Portugal. Again four days later and for the third time one after the other within a good week, the Nations League final against Spain was due.
Other time zones, other climatic conditions
While many professionals post photos from their vacation on Instagram, PSG – like the German Bundesliga club FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund – flies to the USA. In completely different time zones and under other climatic conditions, the club World Cup will begin there on Saturday (June 14, 2025, local time).
PSG is dealing with Atlético. The Madrilenen plays Julián Álvarez, who already has significantly more than 50 competition games this season. Álvarez is Argentinier and always has long -haul flights in front of him when he travels to South America to the qualification games of the defending champion for the 2026 World Cup.
Four weeks between the final of the club World Cup and DFB Cup
If a Bundesliga club reaches the final of the club World Cup-lies between that game and the Supercup and the first round in the DFB Cup for just four weeks, i.e. a range that experts regarded as a necessary vacation time.
When the discussions about burdens from top soccer players became louder in late summer 2024 because of the bloated champions League and club World Cup, the Spanish European champion Rodri said that it should be thought about a strike. Shortly afterwards, the midfielder of Manchester City tore a cruciate ligament.
A connection between stress and injury is often not proof. However, the studies of an insurance company have shown that the number of injuries in the past three years has always increased.