We welcome the decision by UEFA today to allow clubs and national teams to use up to five substitutes during European continental competitions this season.
Allowing five substitutes will help to better manage the unprecedented workload which players face in the coming months because of calendar disruption caused by the covid-19 pandemic.
Even before the pandemic, FIFPRO’s At The Limit report highlighted how the workload of elite-level players was increasing sharply, cutting into their rest and recovery time and thereby increasing injury risk.
FIFPRO General Secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann said: “This is the right decision and a good first step to ease pressure on elite-level players. We will continue to push for further innovative ways to reduce their mounting workload and protect their health and performance.”
FIFPRO Global Player Council members Asmir Begovic and Kim Little also welcomed UEFA’s decision.
Asmir Begovic said: “It is great that our letter was well-received by UEFA and that the 5-sub rule is continuing. We know how important it is to manage workload, and we feel that this will help squads both big and small to do so and better protect players’ health.”
Kim Little said: “There’s a lot of football to play over the coming months, and we are always looking to ensure we can consistently be at our best for club and country. It’s good to know that these small, yet vital, interventions will remain in place to help us achieve this.”