Jan Mucha has had a tough shift: lobbied for players for 4 hours

Not resting on his laurels. Only three months after the first talks with Slovak professional footballers, the initiator of the players’ association in Slovakia, Jan Mucha (33), met in Vienna with the top representatives of the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro). His goal was to fine-tune Slovakia’s entry into the organization. What did they discuss and what are the details of the meeting?

The goalkeeper of our national team and Bratislava’s Slovan was accompanied in Vienna by sports lawyer Jozef Tokos. FIFPro was represented by General Secretary Theo van Seggelen and FIFPro Europe Director Jonas Baer Hoffmann. Also at the table, the Austrian side shared their experiences, led by Director of the Austrian Professional Footballers’ Association Gernot Zirngast and General Secretary Rudolf Novotny.

“It lasted more than four hours. We discussed the overall strategy and the process of becoming a full member, what the structure of the association should be, and we presented our philosophy and visions,” said Jan Mucha. Last December, he initiated a meeting of all Fortuna League team captains, who signed a declaration for the establishment of players’ unions in Slovakia. We are, in fact, the only European country without representation in FIFPro.

“They invited us to Amsterdam, where we will fine-tune the details of our entry among them,” revealed the Slovan goalkeeper. The civic association Union of Football Professionals is already registered with the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic. “We have statutes. Within two weeks, we will convene a meeting of the Council of Team Captains from the Fortuna League and other players, where the footballers will elect an executive committee. At the same time, decisions will be made on the positions within the union’s bodies,” Mucha explained.