Eliminate Fixtures

Getty Images The global footballers’ union FIFPRO wants concrete safeguards to protect players from fixture overload and the consequent risk of injury. This demand has come as the sport catches up with a backlog of matches following the novel coronavirus stoppage. FIFPRO general secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann told Reuters that the union was talking to European clubs and leagues to find ways of protecting players. The sport is already facing an overcrowded calendar for the next three years. “There is the big question of how we manage the load in a very condensed period,” he said. “We can’t just leave it to the mercy of individual decisions because we know how big the pressure is on the players and nobody is going to benefit from additional injuries.” The new coronavirus halted football for t...