No Seat at Table for Soccer Players? Union
Recent deaths in Qatar among construction laborers used to build the 2022 World Cup stadium has sparked greater future planning among both FIFA?s executive committee and FIFPro, the union representing approximately 50,000 soccer players worldwide. The general secretary for FIFPro, Theo van Seggelen, states that from his perspective it would be better to move the tournament to a different host country than it would be to rework international soccer match schedules to accommodate a winter World Cup. The timing and location of the tournament has been called into question because of concerns about players? health during the incredibly hot Qatar summer months. FIFPro doesn?t have a seat on the FIFA executive committee, but van Seggelen says that he may prefer it that way. FIFPro doesn?t have the same leverage that other major sport players? unions might because of the union?s disparity of language, culture, and geography.
See "No Seat at Table for Soccer Players? Union", Sam Borden, The New York Times, October 2, 2013