FIFA to host talks on player welfare with unions, clubs and leagues invited to panel led by Arsène Wenger

ZURICH (AP) — FIFA is set to host talks led by Arsène Wenger on how to improve the welfare of players who could weigh on limiting the number of games they play. a congested calendar and demand off-season breaks.

FIFA said on Monday that a working group led by Wenger “will meet in the coming weeks” and will include delegates from the global players’ union FIFPRO, national clubs and leagues, as well as national federations. Those groups previously had seats on a stakeholder committee that FIFA closed in 2021.

The scope of the new panel will include “operational, medical, regulatory and legal perspectives,” FIFA said, without specifying a timeline or path for making decisions.

The consultation will begin with FIFA under increasing legal pressure listen more to stakeholders, including a Complaint to the European Commission in Brussels this month by union and league officials.

That presentation cited European competition law on how FIFA has expanded or added new men’s competitions that increase the workload for elite players which has pushed some to talk about going on strike.

“The working group must make recommendations based on the latest scientific research on the issue of the physical and mental well-being of players,” FIFA said in a statement.

fifa is already associated with the World Health Organization including promoting good practices in the treatment of head injuries.

Wenger, a former Arsenal coach, has been FIFA’s head of global football development since 2019.