The European Club Association and Fifa have reached an agreement over new recommended release dates of players for international duty before the Women’s World Cup but it is doubtful whether the national associations will adhere to it.
Under the mandatory release periods established within the Fifa international match calendar, the earliest the associations could take players before the tournament in Australia and New Zealand is 10 July. Now there is a non-mandatory release timeframe of between 23 and 29 June – four weeks before the tournament. However, the FA had planned to call up their players for the first pre-World Cup camp on 19 June and the Guardian understands that nothing has changed in that respect.
After extensive consultation with stakeholders around the world, a new consensus agreement was brokered, under which the 10 July date remains where a player has official club matches up to that, unless otherwise mutually agreed with the relevant national association and based on the individual circumstances.
An FA spokesperson said: “We are grateful to Fifa and the ECA for giving national associations the flexibility to find the best solution to this issue with all parties putting player welfare at the heart of decision-making.
“Our research tells us the demands on players at a major international tournament like the Women’s World Cup are greater than any other competition. Along with many other competing nations, we believe we need more time to prepare the squad, while acknowledging that an appropriate period for rest and recovery at the end of a busy club season, that has also included back to back international tournaments, is vital.
“Having four weeks off would impact players’ chances of returning to the required level, with an increased risk of injuries as a result which would be in no one’s interests – not least the players. There are additional considerations about the negative impact of travel fatigue, acclimatisation and jet lag.”
In a joint statement, the ECA and Fifa said the new framework “strikes the all-important balance between players having sufficient rest while allowing adequate time to prepare” ahead of the World Cup.
Fifa said it will also ensure its club protection programme is extended to cover this additional period “from the moment that players leave their club for their duties with their national team until their return” no matter the date of departure.
A new Memorandum of Understanding with Fifa, which runs until the end of 2030, was signed in March 2023. The MoU plays a crucial role to the functioning of the club-country relationship as it governs the release of players for international dates.
The recent stakeholder meetings looked to present a compromise over the impasse and included delegations from clubs, member associations, Uefa, player union Fifpro and the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States along with a number of head coaches, specialised medical and performance staff.
The joint statement added: “Built on a collaborative spirit through open and constructive dialogue, the consultation process and subsequent framework sends a clear message as to how Fifa and ECA, as well as stakeholders across the women’s game, will seek to cooperate going forward.”
