Two out of three footballers who took part in the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand have had to take unpaid leave or days off to qualify. The conclusion is part of a report by the International Federation of Professional Football Players (FIFPro), which heard 362 players from the six regional football federations.
In total, almost 93% of these players feel they are not paid well enough and a significant number of players (29%) have not even been paid to participate in the qualifiers.
The report highlights “very different paths and conditions for female players competing at the highest level”. Only 40% of the players surveyed considered themselves professionals, and mostly they are paid for the results – the so-called game bonuses.
The report also highlights the lack of medical conditions among female footballers, with 54% saying they have had no medical examinations prior to tournaments. That’s over 70% who said they had no pre-tournament EKG checkup, as well as those who said recovery facilities were not of an elite standard or non-existent (66%).
Flying in economy class, including long-haul flights, is mentioned by 59%. There are also complaints about a lack of recovery time between matches (33%) and that stadiums and pitches did not meet acceptable standards (32).
Source: DN
