Professional Footballers Australia (the PFA) will make a formal pitch to FIFA to introduce “Stefan’s Law” after an investigation and report in response to the tragic death of Australian-Malaysian goalkeeper Stefan Petrovski.
Petrovski was killed by a lightning strike on 5 April 2016 at a training session for his Malaysian club, Melaka United. He died in hospital three weeks later, on 1 May 2016.
Working closely with Stefan’s father, Marco, the 20-page report outlines the prevailing legal and policy framework for players’ health and safety for ‘lightning events’ and highlights requisite policy change to prevent a repeat of the tragic death of the 18-year-old goalkeeper.
The report also underscores the necessary introduction of lightning event protocols in world football, particularly in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, which has among the highest incidence of lightning activity in the world.
Click here to download the report
The document has been titled ‘Stefan’s Law’ in the player’s memory and provides key recommendations the global game’s stakeholders can implement immediately to reinforce the current framework around player safety.
Stefan’s father, Marco, said that the report would help establish a legacy for his teenage son.
“Stefan was my son, he was my best friend, he was like my little brother, all in one,” Marco said.
“He was a caring, giving young man, he was very loyal to his friends and full of integrity and by far the best human being I had ever met.
“This never should have happened to him, but thanks to the PFA, we have created a report that will go to FIFPro and through that, we hope to establish a legacy called ‘Stefan’s Law’.
“We hope it will be implemented globally to prevent further loss of life and to prevent any parent going through this living hell that I have experienced.
“Creating a legacy for Stefan means everything to me because he was deprived of creating his own legacy. We need to stop this from happening ever again.”
The report has been endorsed by PFA partner and worldwide representative organisation for all professional footballers, FIFPro, who will advance Stefan’s Law through its dialogue with FIFA.
PFA Chief Executive John Didulica says the suffering of Marco through the loss of Stefan is something that no person should need to endure.
“What has happened to Stefan is one of the great tragedies of Australian and Malaysian football,” Didulica said.
“Marco’s pain of the past almost four years has shifted to purpose – and to work alongside him this year in building Stefan’s Law to ensure no other parent goes through what he has, has been extraordinary.
“I travelled to Kuala Lumpur last week to sign off on Stefan’s Law with his legal team as well as receive the support of FIFPro, the global players’ union, whose Asia Division adopted Stefan’s Law unanimously and will now drive it at the global level.
“Simple steps that can easily be scaled across the globe will ensure no footballer ever dies in this way again.”
