Prominent football players are hesitant to voice their concerns about the excessive number of matches, fearing the repercussions it may have on their careers, according to the general secretary of the global players union FIFPro on Friday.
Alex Phillips made his comments following a FIFPro meeting in Amsterdam, which involved 58 national player unions from around the world to address concerns regarding FIFAs management of international football.
This meeting took place less than two weeks after the conclusion of the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup in the United States, which FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised as a major success, but FIFPro criticised for the strain it has placed on players who are already navigating a busy schedule.
Before the Club World Cup, I was speaking to some of the top stars and they were saying they hadnt had a rest for X amount of time, Phillips said.
One of them even said, Ill only get a rest when I get injured. Others were resigned and cynical about speaking up.