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      Fifa introduce unprecedented THIRD transfer window with major change set to come in next year

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      FIFA have announced a special transfer loophole will be created for next summer’s new Club World Cup.Chelsea and Manchester City will be England’s representatives in the 32-team tournament to be played in the USA.Fifa have announced a new transfer window will be introduced next summerCredit: AFPThe changes will affect clubs competing in the expanded Club World CupCredit: GettyAnd both Prem clubs – and their rivals – will be able to complete some of next season’s transfers early to allow the players to take part in Fifa’s new flagship competition.Under current transfer regulations, the majority of contracts, alongside player registration periods, run until June 30.The new competition will be played from June 15 to July 13 – meaning that players and managers  could theoretically be out of contract half-way through.Current contracts for City’s Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan will expire on June 30, as will Pep Guardiola’s, although the manager has indicated he is keen to sign a new deal.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLJadon Sancho’s loan spell at Chelsea is also due to finish on the same date, while Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich have SEVEN senior players out of contract at the end of the season.But at Thursday’s meeting of Fifa’s ruling Council, global chiefs agreed “unanimously” to bring in rules that will only apply to the 32 teams taking part.As long as their national associations, including the FA, agree, competing clubs will be allowed an 10-day “exceptional registration window” from June 1, allowing players joining them to play in the planned £600m prize fund tournament.There will also be a second temporary window lasting six days from June 27 for participating clubs to replace or re-register players who start the tournament on their books but whose contract then lapse mid-competition.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSThe changes mean Bayern could end up facing Real Madrid target, Canada’s Alphonse Davies, former Etihad winger Leroy Sane, versatile defender and midfielder Joshua Kimmich or keeper Manuel Neuer in the US less than three weeks after they feature for the Bavarians in the Champions League Final in the Allianz Arena.Early registration will only be permitted if both clubs and the players involved approve and nobody will be allowed to play for two teams during the month of action.Premier League joins move to boycott Fifa Club World CupKevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan’s contracts currently expire during the tournamentCredit: AlamyFifa said the “objective” was to “encourage clubs and players whose contracts are expiring to find an appropriate solution to facilitate the players’ participation”.In an additional move, Fifa chiefs agreed that any players called up for the Concacaf Gold Cup taking place on the west coast of the USA at the same time will have the choice of whether to represent their club or nation.That mainly applies to Mexican players, with three clubs – Monterrey, Club Leon and Pachuca – having qualified for the Fifa tournament but would also see left-back Davies having to choose between club or country.Fifa President Gianni Infantino said: “The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will kick off a new era for club football across the world, with the top teams competing to be crowned the official FIFA club world champions.“These regulations will ensure that the best possible conditions are in place in order for all 32 participating clubs and the best players in the world to shine at the highest level.”Bayern Munich have seven players out of contract at the end of June 2025Credit: AFP More

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      Three-time Champions League winner Samuel Eto’o handed six-month Fifa ban from attending national team matches

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      BARCELONA icon Samuel Eto’o has been banned from attending Cameroon national team matches for six months.The former Chelsea and Everton forward has been sanctioned by Fifa for breaching two articles of their Disciplinary Code.Samuel Eto’o has been banned from attending Cameroon matches for six months by FifaCredit: GettyEto’o, who retired in 2019 after a spell playing in Qatar, now acts as the President of the Cameroonian Football Association.But despite the prestigious role, the 43-year-old will not be able to attend any men’s or women’s Cameroon fixtures across all age groups for the next six months.It comes after he was found to have breached rules pertaining to “offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play” and “misconducts of players of officials”.The breaches are said to have taken place during a last 16 clash between Brazil and Cameroon at the Women’s U20 Fifa World Cup.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLFifa’s statement for the ban revealed no details of the incidents.The ban comes just under three months after Eto’o was slapped with a £150,000 fine by the African Football Confederation (CAF) for “seriously violating the principles of ethics, integrity and sportsmanship”.That was in relation to signing a deal to be an ambassador for betting company 1XBET while holding his position with the Cameroonian FA.The retired striker has since appealed that decision and denied all wrongdoing.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSBack in 2021, Eto’o was given a 22-month suspended prison sentence for pleading guilty to tax fraud.He was also handed a £1.4m fine at the same time.Football’s weirdest contract clauses revealed including non-Arsenal agreement and a private jet promiseControversy followed the three-time Champions League winner in 2022, when he issued an apology after a video appeared to show him kneeing a man in the face in Qatar during the World Cup.Eto’o’s playing career saw him make 118 appearances for the Cameroonian national side, bagging 56 goals and winning the Africa Cup of Nations twice.He won three Champions Leagues, three Spanish titles and one Italian league title in a club career that saw him play for Barcelona, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Real Madrid amongst others. More

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      Ex-Chelsea and Arsenal star Lassana Diarra’s legal action against Fifa risks ‘anarchy’ and changing transfers forever

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      FORMER Premier League midfielder Lassana Diarra will learn the outcome of his legal battle with FIFA this week.The 39-year-old’s case stems from his time with Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow and a dispute over wages.Lassana Diarra will learn the outcome of his legal battle this weekCredit: RexThe case stemmed from his time with Lokomotiv MoscowCredit: GettyIn the summer of 2014, Diarra fell out with then-Lokomotiv manager Leonid Kuchuk.Club officials subsequently tried reducing his salary, suggesting it was justified due to his drop in performance.The Frenchman refused to accept the pay cut and eventually stopped attending training.Lokomotiv terminated his contract as a result and took the matter to FIFA.Read More in FootballThe football governing body banned Diarra before the Court of Aarbitration for Sport ordered him to pay €10.5million plus interest in compensation.Belgian club Royal Charleroi then made him an offer, subject to a guarantee they would not have to pay any additional compensation sought by Lokomotiv.But when they did not receive those guarantees, they withdrew the proposal.Diarra’s legal team argue this amounted to a restriction of trade and a breach of European labour law because Diarra was prevented from engaging in his profession.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSFIFA refused to issue the international transfer certificate (ITC) which Charleroi needed to register him.Diarra claims he played no role in talks between Lokomotiv and Anzhi Makhachkala, his former club, but still found himself blocked from resuming his career after being denied his ITC.Chelsea Player vs Brighton RatingsThe Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) will now determine whether FIFA’s refusal to issue the ITC was lawful or not.If it is not deemed lawful, FIFA may have to overhaul the whole ITC process.The football governing body could lose authority in the transfer market as a result, with clubs and players taking more control.Belgian sports law experts and academics Robby Houben, Oliver Budzinski and Melchior Wathelet suggested: “The likely practical outcome of Diarra will be that the transfer system in football, as we know it, will fall.”The Guardian also claim it could lead to “anarchy”.Diarra’s legal case is set to be concluded on Friday, October 4. More

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      Fifa confirm 12 stadiums for new-look Club World Cup including TWO £1.2BILLION NFL grounds and 88,500-seat Olympic venue

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      FIFA have confirmed the 12 stadiums that will host games for the new-look Club World Cup set to begin this season.The tournament, scheduled to begin on June 15, will take place in the USA and has already sparked controversy over its format.Fifa have confirmed the 12 stadiums that will be used for the Club World CupCredit: GettyThe Atlanta’s Falcon’s £1.2bn home – Mercedes-Benz Stadium – will be one arena used for the tournamentCredit: ReutersDC United’s Audi Field will host matches despite holding just 20,000 fansCredit: ReutersThe US, who will also be hosting the World Cup proper in 2026 alongside Mexico and Canada, will offer up 12 incredible stadiums for the tournament. Some 32 teams will compete in 63 matches across the 12 arenas to earn the title of Club World Cup champions.The chosen grounds range from capacities of 20,000 to a whopping 88,500.The matches will stretch from coast to coast with games played in iconic US cities like Los Angeles, Nashville and Washington D.C.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe smallest stadium set to be used is Audi Field in Washington D.C. Home of MLS side DC United, the 20,000 seater stadium is one of few purpose built football grounds in the lineup.Just three other MLS-only grounds are being used for the tournament, TQL Stadium in Cincinnati; Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee; Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando.While six NFL stadiums will be commandeered by the footballing world this summer – including TWO £1.2BILLION super stadiums.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSEvery Club World Cup stadiumHere’s a look at every stadium being used for the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup in the USA…Mercedes-Benz StadiumLocation: Atlanta, GACapacity: 75,000Bank of America StadiumLocation: Charlotte, NCCapacity: 75,000TQL StadiumLocation: Cincinnati, OHCapacity: 26,000Rose Bowl StadiumLocation: Los Angeles, CACapacity: 88,500Hard Rock StadiumLocation: Miami, FLCapacity: 65,000GEODIS ParkLocation: Nashville, TNCapacity: 30,000MetLife StadiumLocation: New York New JerseyCapacity: 82,500Camping World StadiumLocation: Orlando, FLCapacity: 65,000Inter&Co StadiumLocation: Orlando, FLCapacity: 25,000Lincoln Financial FieldLocation: Philadelphia, PACapacity: 69,000Lumen FieldLocation: Seattle, WACapacity: 69,000Audi FieldLocation: Washington, D.C.Capacity: 20,000Both the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons, and the MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Jets and New York Giants, will host matches for the controversial tournament. The largest stadium announced as a host ground is the iconic Rose Bowl in California.Premier League joins move to boycott Fifa Club World CupThe former Olympic stadium will boast a capacity of 88,500 for the upcoming tournament and has held a record 106,869 fans in the past.The incredible colosseum-like arena is recognised as a National Historic Landmark in the US and is best known for its use as a venue for college level American football in the States. Fifa announced the 12-strong list on Saturday in New York City as they continue to hype up their new-look tournament.Despite a new model that will see 32 teams from six continental confederations face off against each other, there has been huge backlash against the fast-approaching tournament.Players have expressed their concerns over hectic calendars leaving them with no time for recovery this summer.While Fifpro, the players’ international federation, claimed that the scheduling “will undercut the rest and recovery time of these players at the end of the 2024-25 season”.Adding that they believe that Fifa’s new plan “demonstrates a lack of consideration for the mental and physical health of participating players, as well as a disregard for their personal and family lives.”The Premier League has also threatened a boycott of the competition with PFA boss Maheta Molango telling SunSport: “Football is killing its own product.”Those who run the game need to listen. If they don’t, then as unions we have a responsibility to the players to take action — and the legal route is the next step.”At the moment Chelsea and Manchester City are the only two Premier League clubs set to participate in the competition next year.Despite the tournament being just around the corner, Fifa are yet to announce any broadcast agreements for the Club World Cup.READ MORE SUN STORIESFootball’s governing body claim that this summer’s tournament will “crown the ultimate global champion”.While some clubs have been disappointed to be left out of contention with the tournament understood to be offering up some £600m in prize money.Teams competing in the Club World CupHere’s a look at which teams will play in next summer’s Club World Cup…Europe: Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Real Madrid, Red Bull SalzburgSouth America: Boca Juniors, Flamengo, Fluminense, Palameiras, River PlateNorth and Central America and Caribbean: León, Monterrey, Pachuca, Seattle SoundersAfrica: Al Ahly, Espérance, Mamelodi Sundowns, WaydadAsia: Al-Hilal, Al Ain, Ulsan, UrawaOceania: Auckland CityThe iconic Rose Bowl will host a number of gamesCredit: GettyLincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles, will also host matchesCredit: ReutersThe Hard Rock Stadium in Miami is one of the host groundsCredit: GettyOrlando City’s Inter & Co Stadium is one of few custom-built MLS stadiums to be used for the tournamentCredit: ReutersMetLife Stadium is another £1.2bn arena that will host matchesCredit: Getty More

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      Kevin De Bruyne could leave Man City midway through tournament with Real Madrid also facing contract chaos

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      KEVIN DE BRYUNE is one of a number of top stars who could leave their clubs next summer in the MIDDLE of the new Club World Cup.The newly expanded tournament will feature 32 teams – the Premier League’s representatives are Manchester City and Chelsea – playing in the United States across June and July.Kevin De Bruyne is among the stars whose contracts are expiring in the middle of the Club World Cup next summerCredit: GettyReal Madrid’s Luka Modric is another star with this problemCredit: AlamyHowever, Fifa has yet to secure a TV deal for the tournament and confirm venues the games will be played at before the July 13 final.It has been heavily criticised for adding more fixtures to an already packed calendar.And these are not the only headaches looming over the tournament.According to The Telegraph, players competing in the tournament have begun seeing clarity over their contract situations.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThis is because the dates of the competition overlap June 30, which is the year-end for registrations globally recognised by Fifa.Several top stars will see their contract expire on the date next summer, meaning in theory that players could start playing the tournament for one team and end it with another.Belgium international De Bruyne is one of these.The report states many more players from the 12 Uefa clubs in the tournament have also asked for clarity over whether they would be allowed to compete due to their contracts being up.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSOne source said: “If this had been held last summer, Kylian Mbappe would have started the Club World Cup playing for PSG and ended it at Real Madrid.”Real Madrid have three major stars who come under this bracket, with Luka Modric, Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vasquez all out of contract next summer. Man City vs Arsenal WagsMeanwhile, Bayern Munich have six players affected by the issue, with Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Eric Dier, Sven Ulreich and Alphonso Davies all out of contract next summer. Davies is a long-term transfer target of Madrid, so may have his future acutely impacted.Football’s governing body have created a never-before-seen dilemma with competitive club football not usually played at that time of year, which is when contract decisions are made en masse.Numerous legal issues surrounding said contracts may also unfold, with factors such as agent fees, salary and insurance all surrounding free agents. Fifa are expected to announce the venues for the tournament in the coming weeks, with much of it set to be played in the eastern USA.The expected venues are the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey; Washington DC’s FedEx Field; Philadelphia’s Subaru Park; Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium, Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium; Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium; Orlando’s Inter&Co Stadium and Seattle’s Lumen Field.READ MORE SUN STORIESFifa president Gianni Infantino also faces problems such as audience interest in the States and a potential player revolution before it comes about.Man City star Rodri has hinted it may be a possibility for players to ensure they are heard, after persistent complaints that they are not listened to over concerns of match load.Alphonso Davies could switch from Bayern Munich to Real Madrid in the middle of the tournamentCredit: Getty More

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      New Champions League format is tiring enough to follow let alone play in – it’s time to listen to the players

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      SUPPORTERS are bound to like more top-class football.But the players? Not so much.Karren Brady insists Uefa chiefs need to listen to the playersCredit: GettyThe new Champions League format has added even more fixturesCredit: EPAA number of them are so tired at the thought of an expanded football programme in Europe and to an extension of the Club World Cup next summer that they are threatening to strike.The people who pay to watch ask: Why?Premier League stars are millionaires and the demand for additional Continental matches means greater fame and bigger earnings.Players understand this reaction but as Aston Villa captain John McGinn pointed out after the win over Young Boys in a freshly minted Champions League: “At times, the mental side of things you need to switch off.Read More on Football“It is hard to churn them out when you are playing 70-plus games a season and then internationals. There’s not a lot of time to rest.”Uefa have added two extra fixtures — it could be four for some — to a competition which had been a straightforward formula of sorting out the better teams from leagues of four clubs.The new arrangement opens with a league of 36 clubs — a magical confusion of ties in four sections each between clubs of similar standards before knockout matches begin with play-offs just to get into the Last 16.I don’t know about player fatigue, my own mental side is pretty tired at that lot.Most read in Champions LeagueBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSYou might also wonder about the reason behind this restructuring.Cynics are even suggesting extra profits will appease the Super League rebel crew and circumnavigate any possible future revolution. Uefa and Fifa made the decision that the plot should be altered.Rodri sensationally claims players are close to STRIKING over schedule after Alisson says ‘our opinion does not matter’Next summer the refashioned Club World Cup will take its bow and among the clubs competing are Chelsea and Manchester City.City are going to have a busy summer. No wonder midfielder Rodri talked in strike terms, adding that 40 to 50 matches should be about maximum for a season.He  played 63 competitive games for club and country last season, and featured for 5,598 minutes between July 2023 and July 2024, including pre-season friendlies.If Rodri is feeling the effects, spare a thought for team-mate Phil Foden, who played 69 competitive games last term and 72 in all.Some will say City are victims of their own success but that success is becoming a punishment for the players.And it’s only going to get worse. It’s expected with Prem games, domestic cup competitions, Europe, internationals and the Club World Cup, City’s players could play up to 85 times this season.No wonder the players are concerned about their own well-being. No one else seems to be giving it a thought.Players need to be heardWhilst the men in suits and white trainers sit in Switzerland and extend the football calendar, no one even bothered to seek the opinion of the players.Liverpool No 1 Alisson said: “Nobody asks the players what they think about adding more games, so maybe our opinion doesn’t matter.”That’s woeful, as it should matter the most.As the PFA pointed out: “Players and their unions have asked to be listened to. “When they are ignored, the natural consequence is that players will begin to consider all options.READ MORE SUN STORIES“Players are repeatedly saying  enough is enough and this must  act as a serious wake-up call to  authorities.”I don’t expect a strike but it is reasonable for the men in shorts to ask the men in suits to listen to them. More

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      Man City and Chelsea stars to be asked about BOYCOTTING Club World Cup with players facing ‘tipping point’

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      MANCHESTER City and Chelsea stars will be asked if they want to BOYCOTT next summer’s Club World Cup unless Fifa strike a deal with players’ leaders.Less than 24 hours after world chiefs unveiled the new brand logo for the 32-team tournament due to be held in the USA next summer, the international players’ union Fifpro published statistics showing how top stars are ALREADY overplayed.Fifa’s Club World Cup will take place next summer in the USACredit: GettyBut Manchester City and Chelsea will potentially be given the opportunity to boycott the tournamentCredit: RexPFA supremo Maheta Molango will see if the clubs are serious about not playing in the tournamentCredit: PASunSport revealed the potential strike threat, which would be backed by the PFA, earlier this year, despite both Chelsea and City in line for huge shares of a potential £600m prize pot.And with legal action against Fifa having already been launched with the European courts, PFA boss Maheta Molango suggested he may have to go to the Stamford Bridge and Etihad dressing rooms to see if the players are serious about following through.Molango said: “This is not an attack on Fifa or the Club World Cup but we have reached a tipping point.“This will be the defining season for football. The calendar doesn’t make any sense.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS“We have been warning for a long time but this season we will have a very telling example of what is happening.“Our legal case questions if there were potential breaches of the right to enjoy a holiday and if Fifa is abusing a dominant position.“The players are conscious, across the pyramid, about the calendar.”When people try to portray this as just about the elite players it’s just not true. It is massive and goes beyond that.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSWhat will happen to Man City?MAN CITY are favourites to win the Premier League title yet again – but there is one elephant in the room that threatens to put the skids under the Etihad giants.Sunsport’s MARTIN LIPTON discusses what the next few months could hold with Head of Sport SHAUN CUSTIS….Custis: So the big question – will there be a resolution this season?Lipton: Yes…. probably! We know the case will start to be dealt with in October or November.It will take at least a month to go through the evidence. So I suspect around March, April time, we will get a result. But that’s where it starts to get tricky.Custis: Why is that?Lipton: If the result is in City’s favour, that’s the end of the matter. They will be cleared. They will have no punishment to face.But if City are found guilty, these will be the heaviest penalties ever imposed by the Premier League.I suspect if they are found guilty, they will be expelled from the league or given a massive points deduction and a huge fine so that they’re not in the Premier League next season.Check out the full discussion on Man City’s future.“But if Fifa are not prepared to talk, we will go back to the players and say to them ‘we have done our bit; we are going to fight as hard as we can but ultimately this may require more from you’.Former West Ham and Newcastle defender David Terrier, vice-president of the French players’ union, added: “We brought the case to find out what the players want us to do. This is our work.Scott Carson’s glittering trophy cabinet“After that we will come back to them and say, ‘We’ve tried to fight and put on the table a solution for bargaining – but nobody wants to answer us.’“So then the possibility we have is to decide together that we won’t play – do you agree with that or not?“We are not the players. We support them, fight for them and explain the situation to them.”That is the last solution and not the one we want, but we do want to protect football.”The benefit of players having increased rest is no more clear and evident than with City hitman Erling Haaland, who has already hit two hat-tricks and scored seven goals so far this season.And Molango believes City’s striker, along with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, have done more for the future of every player than any lawyer in a suit could.As he helped launch the international players’ union FifPro’s latest “Player Workload Monitoring Report”, Molango was clear in his thinking.Haaland’s brilliant start to the new campaign, along with the blistering form of Liverpool’s Egyptian king, is down to him not being as burned out as many of the Prem’s other biggest names.The subdued force who ended last season as a mere mortal has returned as football’s version of RoboCop, an ice-cold penalty box killer.Molango has not a shadow of a doubt as to why – his pre-season trips around Prem dressing rooms making it abundantly clear.The PFA boss said: “What I found astonishing this summer was the difference in terms of the feedback from the people who had a proper holiday and those who did not.We have reached a tipping pointMaheta Molango, CEO of the PFA“The body language and the words they chose in talking to us was so different.“In England, we have a very clear example, with Haaland.“It’s very nice to go to a dressing room and hear someone say to you, ‘I was missing being back.”I was missing being able to train again. And I’m pumped up, I’m motivated. I’m here’. And that was in the preseason.“Now you see the result. He is back to being the machine that we saw when he first joined us in England.“It’s probably something very similar to Mo Salah. He had a proper rest and you can see it’s the best version of Mo.“That’s what the fans want to see and what we as a union want to see as well.“But the people who have not had that rest, you can see they look shattered. They look tired before even starting the season, which for us is very worrying.”The “workload” on top players is the key finding of FifPro’s document.A survey of 1500 players across Europe, mainly in the leading divisions, found more than half are already playing 50-plus games in a season.Julian Alvarez, who left Manchester City for Atletico Madrid in the summer’s biggest transfer, played in a staggering 75 games for club and country last term, with Phil Foden featuring 72 times, as did Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunes, while club-mate Cody Gakpo, Aston Villa’s John McGinn and Arsenal’s Kai Havertz walked onto the pitch at least 70 times each.And that was before this season’s expansion of the Champions League, potentially adding four more games, the Club World Cup that is due to feature up to seven games for City and Chelsea next summer and the 48-team 2026 World Cup.FifPro previously pointed out that Jude Bellingham has played twice as many senior minutes as David Beckham had at the same age, while Spurs defender Cristian Romero travelled 105,000 miles – two and a half times round the earth – even though Tottenham were not in Europe.Fifa are in FifPro’s sights, the Club World Cup seen as a competition too far – especially as the union accuses world chiefs of “refusing” to even discuss the issue.Legal action that has been launched in the European Court of Justice could end in the likes of Foden, Bellingham and Harry Kane being asked if they are prepared to take strike action rather than fly out to the USA next June.Erling Haaland has benefitted immensely from having the summer offCredit: GETTYAs has Liverpool forward Mohamed SalahCredit: REXFormer Arsenal and Liverpool performance coach Darren Burgess explained: “Young players are still growing into their mid-20s.“We know that putting them through this stress is placing them at increased risks but the levels of games have so startlingly increased over the past 20 years that we don’t know what this might do to our young stars.“That’s the scariest part – that there are no safeguards. The science tells us that they are still growing and putting them under more load generally leads to injury.”Molango, though, believes there is a wider problem that MUST be addressed.He added: “The domestic calendar hasn’t changed over the last 20 years. It is not the issue because it is the bread and butter for players.“A big proportion of their money comes from domestic TV contracts and it is important to protect the domestic pyramid.”That’s something they strongly feel about. We need to protect the players from themselves.”They love playing, they are committed to playing and they don’t want to lose their starting spot.“But the fans are paying 100 per cent prices and not seeing 100 per cent of the show.“We think there should be a maximum number of games, between 50 and 60 per season, which can vary depending on your age.“But players must not play more than five or six games back to back and they must be allowed a minimum three weeks of complete rest in the summer.“In the past, when we talked about this, it was us saying how it ‘feels’.READ MORE SUN STORIES“But this is science talking, a report from people – players and coaches – who have first-hand experience.“Players are at the ‘red limit’. If we want to protect the show, we must protect the players.” More

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      Former Jamaica ace hopes new guide for mums in football leads to better support for female players with children

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      CHEYNA MATTHEWS hopes new guidelines for mums in football will make it “less taboo” for female players to bring their children to sports events.The former Jamaica player, 30, shared her thoughts as part of ‘The Postpartum Return to Play’ guide published by global players’ union Fifpro.Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir, who won a landmark maternity pay case last year, is among the players who fed into Fifpro’s new guideCredit: ReutersCheyna Matthews (left) hopes Fifpro’s guide will help make it less taboo for players who are mums to bring children into football environmentsCredit: APThe 48-page guide, published today, was produced with input from current and former elite players who are parents, including Matthews, who is a mother-of-three.Other players who are mums and shared their experiences include ex-Iceland midfielder Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir, who won a maternity pay claim case against French giants Lyon last January.The guide provides information on topics such as sleep hygiene, breastfeeding and pelvic health. It also provides advice on nutrition for players for during and after pregnancy, as well as management of mental wellbeing, and returning to exercise post-pregnancy.Read More Football StoriesThe guide includes insights from experts on pregnancy and reproductive health, women’s football and Fifa maternity regulations.And Matthews, who played for Jamaica at the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, hopes it will lead to better support for female footballers wanting to blend their roles as mothers and elites athletes.The former forward, said: “For me, I tried to keep my children away from the club environment because I didn’t want to be looked at as the mum, I wanted to be looked at as a professional.”I think that was probably my biggest challenge – finding that balance of how often do I have my children around, do they travel with me?Most read in Football”It’s those kinds of things and I just worked with my family and the support and resources that I had outside of the team to make it fit what I felt like I should do in my professional environment.”These guidelines will really help, in terms of having the professional life and the family life intersect, where it’s not as taboo to have your child travel with you on a trip. “And it’s not considered a distraction and there’s a space for it.”Last month in Paris retired United States sprint star Allyson Felix opened the first nursery to be set up in an Olympic village.The seven-time Olympic gold-medallist told NBC the idea for this at the Paris games “was top of mind to support athletes are mothers”.Felix, who won an election to represent athletes on the IOC, said: “It’s here so that mothers and families feel supported.”Having some normalcy is great, just to have an actual space dedicated for this.”Last month Allyson Felix opened the first nursery to provided in an Olympic Games villageCredit: ReutersMatthews, who has 18 senior Jamaica caps, hopes Fifpro’s new guidelines will open doors for similar spaces at football tournaments.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe forward, whose former clubs include Washington Spirit, Racing Louisville and Chicago RedStars, adds: “Having the childcare centre for the Olympians is huge.”I can just see with the (Fifpro) guideline how it will open doors for maybe sponsors and different supporters to have these experiences for players in the football environment as well.” More