In nearly every profession, workplace safety is a basic right, supported by regulatory and legal frameworks designed to protect employees from accidents and injuries on the job.
However, for footballers, these basic rights are frequently disregarded, as players face abuse, violence, and threats globally.
A football player’s workplace extends beyond the pitch, where visible acts of violence can also occur, to other areas such as the stadium, changing rooms, bus rides to matches, training grounds, and even their family homes.
A FIFPRO report from November underscores the extent and consequences of fan violence and abuse towards professional male footballers, while proposing measures to enhance workplace safety and safeguard player well-being.
The report titled ‘FIFPRO Men’s Football Workplace Safety Report: The Impact of Violence Towards Footballers in Their Workplace,’ is based on player interviews, a survey of 41 national player unions, and media analyses. The report is supported by an academic research paper authored by Dr. Joel Rookwood, Director of the Sport & Exercise Management degree at University College Dublin.
Although 85 percent of player unions believe that the relationship between fans and players is generally very positive and valuable, 76 percent expressed concern over the growing issue of workplace safety for professional footballers, and 66 percent noted that certain aspects of fan culture have become increasingly violent and abusive in recent years.
The survey results are backed by a Council of Europe committee report, published in November under the Saint-Denis Convention, which states that the number of arrests at sports events, especially in top-tier football leagues, is significant and increasingly problematic.
Particular concerns include the use of flares or projectiles, but violence also extends to players being attacked by pitch invaders or targeted from the stands with verbal abuse, which can be discriminatory or directed at their families. Many instances of abuse remain hidden and unreported, as threats and aggression become increasingly normalised.
Abuse and violence have concerning effects: 88 percent of unions reported that the threat of violence negatively impacts player performance, while 83 percent noted its contribution to mental health issues.
Unions support greater use of technology to identify and deter offenders: 98 percent believe that devices like security scanners and facial recognition would enhance player safety; 88 percent think clubs should do more to ban violent fans, and most agree that additional efforts are needed to engage with fans about how abuse and violence affect player well-being.
One anonymous men’s footballer in the report mentioned the media is complicit because they constantly criticise players, which sets a negative example for others.
Some notable cases include Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr facing repeated racial abuse on the field, including during a game against Valencia last year in May. Several fans directed racist gestures at the Brazilian player, resulting in Valencia’s stadium being closed for three matches and a €27,000 fine.
The report also mentions an insight into women’s football, while it becomes more professionally globally and fan rivalries intensify, concerns about workplace safety and security are becoming increasingly relevant.
Initial survey results reveal that 34% of unions have observed an increase in workplace violence in women’s football, highlighting the rise of match day safety concerns in the women’s game.
Players, unions, clubs, and legislators have suggested a range of solutions to address violence against players, including enhanced awareness of occupational health and safety in professional football and its application to players, enhanced in-stadium policing, stewarding, and surveillance and Collaboration among key stakeholders.
The report has been created by FIFPRO Player IQ, a player-centric knowledge centre designed to influence decision-making in the football industry to safeguard and enhance the careers and working conditions of professional footballers.
To read the full FIFPRO report, click here.
