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High-profile players at Canada, France and Spain have spoken out over disputes with their national teamsFour months before the World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand, several leading nations are in disarray.
Canada, Spain and France have made headlines in recent months as disputes between players and federations have escalated.
Players have raised concerns about equal pay, a lack of professional resources and how they are being managed for their national teams.
BBC Sport has been speaking to Fern Whelan from the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) about what can be done to prevent these situations arising, as well as taking a closer look at how those teams ended up in this position.
Canada battling for equalityCanada wore T-shirts which read “enough is enough” at the SheBelieves Cup in FebruaryCanada’s national team are embroiled in a dispute with Canada Soccer (CSA) over equal pay.
Last month, players announced a strike over pay equity concerns and a lack of funding that they said would compromise their performances.
It was subsequently called off because of the governing body’s threats of legal action, but the players protested during the recent SheBelieves Cup by wearing purple T-shirts with the phrase “enough is enough” written on the front before their matches.
Players have now threatened to boycott a camp in April if demands are not met.
Canada in equality fight for the long haulCanada men’s 2022 dispute over prize moneyLast week, some players appeared before Canada’s parliament to discuss the ongoing dispute, with record goalscorer Christine Sinclair saying they had been “forced to negotiate in the dark”.
“The success of the national team is inspiring the entire country and the future should be brighter than ever,” she said.
“However, as the popularity, interest and growth of the women’s game has swept the globe, our most painstaking battle has been with our own federation.”
Former England international Whelan, who is now an executive for equality, diversity and inclusion in women’s football at the PFA, said it was “clear” federations are “not doing enough” and Canada’s players, speaking out as a collective, is a “powerful” indication of that.
“These are nations that have real, top-quality experience in major tournaments,” she said.
“The Canadian team have recently won the Olympics and these are teams that have excelled in their sport, and the players are not getting the support they feel they should be to be able to thrive and do their day-to-day jobs.”
It is understood senior players are leading negotiations on behalf of the squad, while players from the United States have shown support after going through a similar dispute in March 2019.
“It is important to have players showing support for each other and not just speaking as individuals. It’s really powerful to have a collective voice,” added Whelan.
France discord between manager and playersWendie Renard was stripped of the France captaincy in 2017 under manager Corinne Diacre but was reinstated in 2021There has been underlying tension between some France players and manager Corinne Diacre for a number of years, which came to a head last month when several stars, including captain Wendie Renard, said they would no longer represent their country.
Renard criticised the France “system” and was joined in a boycott by team-mates Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Kadidiatou Diani, who said the “management” was behind her decision.
Diacre called it a “smear campaign”, but was unable to prevent the French Football Federation (FFF) from bringing to an end her turbulent six-year reign.
Announcing her sacking last week, the FFF said the situation was “irreversible”.
There has long been fractious relationships between Diacre and several senior players because of her aggressive management style.
In 2017, Diacre stripped Renard of the France captaincy. In 2019, she left Katoto out of the World Cup squad. In 2020, Amandine Henry – Diacre’s captain in 2019 – was dropped after the midfielder claimed it was “total chaos” in camp.
Support for Diacre appeared to be split among the squad, but there was a united frustration at the FFF’s alleged lack of support for women’s football, its management and player care.
“Something that was flagged by one of the French players is that they are concerned about their mental health and wellbeing,” said Whelan. “They were having to take themselves away from the squad.
“As a player, I had someone I could talk to if I was struggling with my mental health. It’s making sure there’s a support network in place.
“It’s not just going out and playing football – it was how I was looked after off the pitch too. The main thing is knowing the player is a person before a footballer.
“How do we, as federations, ensure we are looking after the player? That’s the main thing.”
Spain players take on coach and federationBallon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas and Barcelona team-mate Aitana
Source: BBC Sport | Read More
