FifPro has called for FIFA to learn from the shortcomings of the Club World Cup ahead of next year’s World Cup which is set to be one of the biggest sporting events in history. The revamped Club World Cup introduced by FIFA this summer as Infantino expanded the tournament to 32 teams from across the globe.
This decision came under much fire from players and coaches who are concerned about the amount of games being played which is affecting player welfare. Now, as reports state that Fifpro was not invited to a key meeting on player welfare that Infantino held on the eve of the Club World Cup final, Marchi has left a scathing review of Infantino.
"What was presented as a global celebration of football was nothing more than a fiction created by Fifa, promoted by its president, without dialogue, sensitivity, and respect for those who sustain the game with their daily efforts.
"A grandiloquent staging inevitably reminiscent of the 'bread and circuses' of Nero's Rome, entertainment for the masses while behind the scenes inequality, precariousness, and the lack of protection for the true protagonists deepen."
As reported by the BBC, Nero threw spectacular games and events which made him popular with ordinary people, but is better remembered for his brutality and cruelty. Marchi’s comparision between him and Infantino is telling as those within the game continue to speak out about being pushed into more and more fixtures.