FIFPro and European parliament members form study group

FIFPro announced at the European Parliament in Brussels that it has set up a group comprising members of the European Parliament and representatives of FIFPro.
 
The purpose is to work together on of issues such as European Employment Law and the interpretation of the laws by international, European and club groups.
 
"Ronaldinho represents the pinnacle of professional football and is having a career and associated benefits befitting arguably the world’s greatest footballer," said Theo van Seggelen, General Secretary of FIFPro. "However, for the majority of professional footballers their life will be a very different story. Many will have their career cut short by injury or face an uncertain future as they retire and leave the professional game often with little or no qualifications.
 
"The players at the highest level have achieved this status on merit and are rewarded accordingly. But they are at the top of the iceberg, what you see above the water; under the water are the majority of professional players, players that will not earn enough from football to sustain them beyond their playing career. FIFPro works to set up educational initiatives to ensure that the players who need support and qualifications to find a job in the world outside football get the help they need to make that transition. We work to ensure that footballers have the same employment rights as any other worker in Europe. We also spend a large amount of our time ensuring clubs honour the contracts they have signed with players."
 
One of the key issues for the group is an initial priority against racism, sectarianism and prejudice. They wish to utilise football players as a medium to convey important messages that bigotry is unacceptable.
 
"The highly publicised incident with Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o in Spain was a disgusting example of the prejudice that can be found in many forms across Europe and beyond," said The Head of FIFPro’s Committee Against Racism, Tony Higgins. "It is an issue prevalent in wider society brought sharply to the public’s attention through the media focus on football. In short it is our members, the players, who are primarily the target for this abuse. It is unacceptable that anyone should have to face hatred based on intolerance and ignorance such as that experienced by Samuel and many other players around the world."
 
Former Aston Villa, Bari, Celtic and Chelsea Centre Half Paul Elliot has become one of the first FIFPro Ambassadors appointed to challenge racism, and has mentioned that its is sad to even see the topic needing to be addressed in this day and age.
 
John Monks, the General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, will chair the group.
 
Other members include David Martin (United Kingdom), Ole Christensen (Denmark), Maria Berger (Austria), Emien Bozkurt (Netherlands). FIFPro representatives include President Philippe Piat (France), General Secretary Theo van Seggelen (Netherlands) and Anti Racism Leader Tony Higgins (Scotland).
 
The Interest Group held their first meeting on 31 May in the European Parliament in Brussels. The items on the agenda included addressing prejudice, football as a means to promoting an inclusive European society that values and respects the character and ability of its citizens and does not judge them based on their race or religion.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.