Women’s soccer is falling quick in key areas together with medical help and pay, in accordance with a survey of gamers concerned on this yr’s Women’s World Cup.
The survey, performed by gamers’ union FIFPRO and launched Wednesday, discovered that 60% of respondents stated they lacked psychological well being help, whereas one in three earned lower than $30,000 a yr from soccer.
“The players gave everything they had to put on a brilliant World Cup, but there are still important gaps that need addressing,’’ FIFPRO director of policy and strategic relations for women’s football Sarah Gregorius said. “We will be seeking to work through these issues with stakeholders and resolve them as soon as possible.”
The World Cup was co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand in July and August. It boasted file attendances and viewing figures, with Spain being topped champion after beating England within the last.
That match was overshadowed when then-Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales kissed participant Jenni Hermoso on the lips with out her consent in the course of the awards ceremony, resulting in a gamers’ revolt and accusations of sexual assault.
The survey highlighted additional areas of concern referring to the circumstances gamers have been anticipated to function underneath.
FIFPRO stated it surveyed 260 gamers from 26 of the 32 nationwide groups within the event.
Findings from @FIFPRO‘s survey of players who played at the Women’s World Cup:– 53% felt they didn’t have sufficient relaxation earlier than the primary match
– 86% had lower than 2 weeks of relaxation after the WC
– 1 in 3 earns lower than $30,000 a yr from soccerhttps://t.co/iyXjBkdDpH
— Manasi Pathak (@ManasiPathak_) November 29, 2023
It stated 10% didn’t bear a medical examination earlier than the event. In what the union described as a “worrying statistic,” it stated 22% didn’t have an electrocardiogram.
“Anything below 100% when it comes to access to an ECG or undertaking a pre-tournament medical is not acceptable,” FIFPRO head of technique and analysis for girls’s soccer Alex Culvin stated. “All players need to complete these important checks before they compete, and the regulations need to be applied and adhered to in full.”
FIFPRO stated two-thirds of gamers claimed they weren’t in peak situation by the point the event began and 53% believed they’d had inadequate relaxation earlier than their opening sport on the World Cup.
While FIFPRO pointers suggest an “off-season break of four weeks, with a re-training period of six weeks,” it stated 86% gamers returned their golf equipment lower than two weeks after the event.
The union quotes an unnamed participant as saying it was “mentally exhausting” to return to membership soccer.
Besides one in three respondents incomes lower than $30,000 a yr from soccer, the survey discovered that one in 5 wanted a second job to complement their revenue.
Those figures didn’t embody a assured pre-tax sum of no less than $30,000 from World Cup prize cash for each participant.
“FIFA can confirm that it has credited prize money to cover the financial contribution specifically earmarked for all players at the record-breaking FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 to all 32 (associations),” world soccer’s governing physique stated in an announcement.
“Since the conclusion of the tournament FIFA has provided tailored support to (associations) regarding the distribution of payments to players. This support is another concrete step taken by FIFA to develop women’s football and ensure players receive a fair deal.”
FIFA stated the distributions could be topic to audit “in due course.”
FIFPRO stated the outcomes of the survey “show many players still lack adequate financial compensation.”
Among different findings, it additionally stated some gamers had raised issues about the usual of technical workers their nationwide staff had taken to the event. It stated one participant referred to as for an “investigation into the qualification of technical staff brought by their federation.”
FIFPRO stated the outcomes “underscore the need for further player-centric improvements in international women’s football in key areas including the match calendar, medical support, and compensation.”
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
