Brazilian football players on Saturday warned that a strike is "imminent" and criticized the game's domestic ruling body for refusing to negotiate to avert action that would disrupt league matches next year, according to Andrew Downie of REUTERS. Players with Common Sense FC, a pressure group set up to demand fewer top class matches and extended preseason training, accused the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) of obstinacy and said that "the season due to start in mid-January will likely be disrupted." The group said in a statement posted on its Facebook page, "Because no answers have been forthcoming and because of their unwillingness to guarantee improvements in Brazilian football, a strike is now imminent for the start of the 2014 season." The group of more than 1,000 league players said that strike action "would only be averted if the CBF changed the fixture list to give more games to provincial teams and fewer matches to the top clubs, and if the authorities implement a system to punish clubs that do not pay their players on time." The players, including dozens of current and former Brazil internationals, "have also called for 30 days of close season holidays and more representation on decision-making bodies such as clubs and federations" (JAKARTA GLOBE, 12/8).
