In a Resolution and Recommendation adopted yesterday, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe calls on the football world to put human rights first. The debate and vote were held in the presence of FIFA President Giovanni Infantino.
These texts formalise recommendations aimed at greater equity in the financing of football, in particular through a reform of the transfer market, the respect of human, social and environmental rights by the host countries of major events, the protection of players against exploitation and discrimination and, finally, the promotion of gender equality.
In his speech, Mr Infantino said that the organisation of the World Cup in Qatar had enabled an evolution of labour legislation in that country, “a lot still needs to be done”.
On the issue of transfers, he admitted that developments were still needed. In 2019, he said, the amount spent in this context was “about €7 billion, of which 10% went to agents and only 1% to player training and solidarity for clubs”.
He also proposed that the football World Cup be organised every 2 years instead of every 5 years in order to be more inclusive, especially towards Africa, which should be given “opportunities” to discourage its inhabitants from risking their lives by crossing the Mediterranean.
The Assembly firmly rejected this proposal, considering that it could have “disastrous consequences for European football”. It urged Giovanni Infantino “not to proceed without the agreement of European stakeholders and the IOC”.
Link to the Recommendation: https://bit.ly/3G0ZNEF (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)