Turin, 13 July (LaPresse/AP) – A mandatory minimum rest period of 72 hours between matches and a 21-day holiday period at the end of each season. These are the terms of the agreement reached by FIFA and the players' union at a summit held in New York a few hours after the Club World Cup final. FIFA spoke of ‘progressive discussions,’ adding that the health of players is an ‘absolute priority.’ FIFA plans to take travel requirements and weather conditions into account when planning future competitions. ‘There is consensus that there should be at least 72 hours of rest between matches and that players should have a rest/holiday period of at least 21 days at the end of each season,’ FIFA said. ‘This period should be managed individually by each club and its players, also based on their respective match schedules and taking into account applicable collective agreements.’ Strictly enforcing a 72-hour rest period could lead to significant changes to schedules and, consequently, to television agreements. European teams playing in the Europa League on Thursday evenings, for example, would have to play on Sunday evenings or Mondays. This is a major problem for the Bundesliga, which abolished Monday evening matches in 2021 after years of protests from fans.
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