(Reuters) – The European Club Association (ECA) said it is concerned about the “current widespread practice” of national federations calling up players for the Women’s World Cup before the mandatory release period starts.
The mandatory release date for the tournament is July 10, which is 10 days before the event kicks off in Australia and New Zealand.
The ECA said it had received a “volume of alerts” from clubs about the issue and warned that the health and well-being of players could be put at risk.
“This is not a matter of financial compensation or the absence of adequate protection and insurance, but a serious concern for player welfare,” ECA Head of Women’s Football Claire Bloomfield said in a statement released on Wednesday.
“The issue of early call-ups is a hangover from the game in its amateur form and is detrimental to the future success and growth of women’s football.”
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes has called for strict restrictions on international windows.
Several top players, including England captain Leah Williamson and Netherlands forward Vivianne Miedema, have been ruled out of the World Cup due to serious injuries.
“There’s a reason and a rationale for those windows because, especially in the last three years, players have had so little rest – maybe a couple of weeks at the end of the season, it is not enough,” Hayes told a news conference on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
