The leaders of FIFPRO and World Leagues Forum (WLF) met in Madrid on Monday October 4th to discuss current topics and concerns in professional football. The aim for the two key international stakeholders was to strengthen collaboration between leagues and player unions while important discussions are taking place on the future of football.
The meeting brought together Jonas Baer-Hoffmann (General Secretary – FIFPRO), Simon Colosimo (Deputy General Secretary – FIFPRO), Bobby Barnes (Deputy Chairman Professional Footballers Association - PFA), David Aganzo (President - Asociación de Futbolistas Españoles – AFE), Bob Foose (Executive Director MLS Players Association) and Geremi Njitap (President Syndicat National des Footballeurs Camerounais – SYNAFOC) on behalf of the players, as well as Enrique Bonilla (Liga MX - Chairman WLF), Richard Masters (CEO - Premier League), Mark Abbott (President - MLS), Javier Tebas (President - La Liga) and Jerome Perlemuter (General Secretary - WLF) on behalf of the leagues.
Representatives addressed the impact of proposals to revamp the international match calendar in terms of competitions and players’ welfare. They agreed that any plans on the future of football require the agreement of those who represent the employers and the employees. It was emphasised that while innovations must be discussed, the economy of domestic leagues shall be preserved and safeguards implemented for the health of players.
The meeting followed the signing of a recent cooperation agreement to foster a transparent and sustainable relationship between employers and employees in domestic leagues, the bedrock of the football industry.
The two delegations discussed the importance of establishing a collective governance framework across football that is based on inclusion and collective agreements, drawing on the examples of successful cooperation in many domestic leagues.
The two delegations will meet again in the coming weeks to continue this dialogue.
