Women football association accuses FIFA of discrimination
In international matches, FIFA is responsible for the insurance of the players – but only for the men. This has made the Swedish women football league association (EFD) accuse FIFA of discrimination of female players and in a letter addressed to FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke, they request that female players are included in the arrangement.
On the FIFA congress in May 2012, a new worldwide player insurance project was approved. In the run up to the congress, FIFA wrote on its website that “starting in August 2012, this major new undertaking will see FIFA insure all players involved in all international “A” matches listed in the international match calendar”.
However, that this does not include female players has raised critique, particularly in Norway and Sweden. The EFD has contacted a number of European clubs and so far Olympique Lyonnais, Standard de Liège and the 24 highest ranked teams in Norway through their league association have expressed their support for the letter.
In the letter, they argue that female national team players train and play as much as the male players do, but their financial situation is seldom at the same level. Therefore, their clubs would benefit greatly from the added resources that would allow them to focus on increasing the level of their team, states Olympique Lyonnais in the letter.
“We consider that the female international playersʼ insurance should be assumed by FIFA on the same conditions as the menʼs insurance. Male or female, the players are equally important” concludes the EFD.
Play the Game has received a copy of the letter from the EFD
Note: On 25 January, the EFD confirmed in a press release that they had received an answer from FIFA stating that they would look into the matter and see if the arrangement could be expanded to include female players as well.
Sources: EFD, FIFA, HD.se, damfotboll.com