COVID-19 failings could set back Asian football, union boss warns

HONG KONG: Asian football risks throwing away years of progress if leagues and clubs fail to look after their players during the coronavirus pandemic, the head of the global footballers’ union has warned.

Talent pools will dwindle and foreign imports will dry up if players continue to face pay cuts and instability, said FIFPro General Secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann.

He highlighted the example of Indonesia, saying a “unilateral decision” to slash players’ wages by three quarters had caused “quite severe hardship.”