Professional Footballers Australia (the PFA) will play a central role in the assembly of over 65 global football player associations in Sydney this week.

For the first time Australia will host the FIFPro Annual General Assembly, which brings together over 180 player union officials from 65 countries to discuss issues impacting professional players and the global football industry.

The unions – of which PFA is a member – make up the ‘FIFPro family’ and collectively represent over 60,000 male and female professional football players worldwide across four divisions – Africa, the Americas, Asia/Oceania and Europe.

The General Assembly, which was first introduced in 1966, provides the opportunity for the representatives to discuss wide-ranging issues including the reform of the international match calendar, the progression of the women’s global football industry and the proposed introduction of new FIFA Regulations relating to the global transfer and regulations of players and agents.

The PFA enjoys a close relationship with FIFPro, with Francis Awaritefe sitting on the Global Board and he joins PFA Deputy Chief Executive Kathryn Gill on the FIFPro Asia/Oceania Board, while PFA Head of Player Relations, Beau Busch, will present to the General Assembly on the PFA’s Player Development Program.

PFA Head of Legal Angela Collins is the FIFPro appointee to the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber while former PFA President and Socceroo Simon Colosimo is now employed by FIFPPRO as Senior Manager of Member Services.

PFA Chief Executive, John Didulica, who will deliver a ‘Word of Welcome’ to the 180 attendees, said it was an honour to showcase Australian football and the PFA to the world’s player associations.

“FIFPro is one of the most influential institutions in world football, so to welcome its members to Australia is a great honour and tribute to the work done by the PFA over 25 years,” Didulica said.

“We work incredibly closely with FIFPro on all global matters and their support as part of the ‘Save Hakeem’ campaign was central to one of high points of Australian football this year.”  

Former international stars-turned player advocates, such as the head of the Italian players association, Damiano Tommasi, head of Cameroonian players union and former Real Madrid, Chelsea and Middlesbrough midfielder Geremi, and former Sweden goalkeeper Caroline Jönsson will be in attendance in Sydney.

The General Assembly also provides the opportunity for FIFPro to announce its annual Merit Award, of which Socceroo Awer Mabil was the 2018 recipient at the Rome 2018 Congress.

About FIFPro

FIFPro is the worldwide representative organisation for all professional footballers; more than 60,000 players in total, male and female. The World Players’ Union currently has 65 national players’ associations as their members. Five candidate members and four observers hope to join FIFPro in the near future.

The mission ‘FIFPro supports players’ and our mission statement ‘FIFPro is the exclusive collective voice of the world’s professional footballers’ are key principles. These are the two guiding foundations that underpin FIFPro’s activities.