FIFPRO Europe representatives delivered remarks before the European Parliament's Committee for Education and Culture (CULT) on Tuesday during a stakeholder hearing towards the European Parliament’s own-initiative report titled: Role of the EU policies in shaping the European Sport Model.
The remarks followed a meeting between FIFPRO Europe and the European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef, in Brussels to discuss the 2024-2029 institutional term including key priorities to strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of Europe's football industry.
During the hearing in the premises of the European Parliament, the FIFPRO Europe delegation highlighted the critical role of player unions in maintaining the competitiveness of European football while emphasising the urgent challenges facing the industry.
Joachim Walltin, General Secretary of FIFPRO Europe, opened the testimony by welcoming the opportunity to strengthen and innovate the European Sport Model and the central role of player unions in its development, to achieve better governance in sports.
"It is through improved and inclusive governance, social dialogue, and respect for the rights of all stakeholders, including players, that we can make collective agreements – from health and safety to financial sustainability – tailored to the sports sector and its autonomy, but in line with the European values, EU and national law," said Walltin.
"For decades, player unions have been pushing for player-centric policies that build sustainable industries and employment. Together with other European football stakeholders, including our social partners, we have helped shape a competitive industry that is home to the world's leading national and international competitions."
FIFPRO Europe meets with European Commissioner Glenn Micallef
Walltin outlined FIFPRO Europe's commitment to addressing precarious employment conditions that still exist across the sector, particularly overdue payments, access to independent justice, and insufficient social protections. He emphasised that the role of collective agreements and social dialogue in decision-making are key areas where the European Sport Model should be strengthened.
Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO’s Director of Global Policy & Strategic Relations for Men's Football, followed with a detailed analysis of the threats facing the European football sector, pointing to recent Court of Justice of the European Union rulings that have exposed governance failures.
"The European football success story now faces serious threats to its fabric and competitiveness – threats that undermine the European sector and the European Sport Model," Bielefeld said. "Recent judgments by the Court of Justice of the European Union have exposed profound failures of governance and showed what we must do to strengthen the European Sport Model."
The testimony comes amid increasing legal challenges to FIFA's governance model. Bielefeld highlighted the October 2024 Diarra ruling, which established that parts of the international transfer system violate EU law, and referenced the joint complaint submitted by FIFPRO Europe and European Leagues to the European Commission alleging that FIFA's unilateral decisions on the international match calendar violate EU competition law and harm the economic interests of European leagues and clubs. An additional complaint was filed with the Brussels Commercial Court concerning violations of the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Using player workload as a concrete example, Bielefeld outlined how the current governance of competition calendars contradicts five key EU policies that should be integrated into the European Sport Model:
- The EU Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC)
- The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (Article 31)
- The EU Framework Directive on Safety and Health at Work (89/391/EEC)
- The European Commission agenda on competitiveness and social dialogue
- The 2024-2027 EU Work Plan for Sport
"Commercial and political interests are the primary drivers of match proliferation, not player salary demands," Bielefeld said. "If player remuneration was the driving force, national team competitions where players receive relatively minimal financial reward would not be continually expanding at a rapid pace."
The testimony concluded with a call for a decision-making model that is open, democratic, and fair, where social partners can negotiate labour agreements that respect EU law, in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan.
The European Parliament CULT committee's report on the European Sport Model is expected to be published later this year and will address these issues along with other aspects of European sports policy.
