Fifpro not invited to Fifa player welfare meeting

Global players' union Fifpro was not invited to a "key" meeting that Fifa president Gianni Infantino held on player welfare where a minimum three-week off-season break was agreed, BBC Sport has been told.

World football's governing body claimed Saturday's talks in New York on the eve of the Club World Cup final "addressed key issues concerning player health", including "critical matters related to the international match calendar".

Fifa said there was a "consensus" that there should be at least 72 hours of rest between matches, and players should have a rest period of at least 21 days at the end of each season.

However, that is a week less than Fifpro had been demanding.

Fifa hailed "productive discussions" Infantino and other officials had with "representatives of several player unions from around the world... with a specific focus on player rest and recovery".

But BBC Sport has been told no official from Fifpro - which represents 66,000 men's and women's players around the world - or the Professional Footballers' Association, which represents players in England and Wales, was present at the meeting.

And it is not clear how binding any of the agreements are.

The BBC has been told Fifpro's leadership is critical of the process leading to the announcement, and do not even recognise some of the officials that appear in a photograph Fifa released of the meeting.

Fifa has been approached for comment.

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