Photo: Photosport
A study of domestic football in 79 countries by global players' union FIFPRO has shown less than one-third have a well-functioning system with stable employment conditions.
The report, named 'Shaping Our Future' and based on economic market inputs from auditing firm KPMG, said there is a lack of national and international financial protection schemes that guarantee players their salaries.
While Europe's top-five domestic leagues in England, France, Germany, Spain and Italy were said to have a "high degree of stability", there were 23 countries facing "significant challenges to development" - among them New Zealand.
New Zealand was listed in the fifth tier cluster which the report said were "small football economies that provide minimum employment conditions (and) face significant challenges to sustain professional football structures."
The seven other countries listed in this group were Finland, Ireland, Malta, Slovenia, Canada, South Korea, and Czech Republic.
New Zealand is among eight countries in tier five. Photo: FIFPRO
"The strength of their domestic economy is quite high, but there is also a large deviation between them in terms of population and general standard of living.," the report said.
"The employment opportunities are rare and while the minimum playing and working conditions are often respected, the situation of many players will remain precarious. In most of these countries, the market structure will naturally limit the development opportunities of the football industry and therefore create a glass ceiling for the opportunities of players."
"The challenges in this segment of the global football market can only be addressed by providing external support that provides new economic and playing opportunities outside the traditional thinking," the report added.
"Generally, countries in this group perhaps underperform in football terms relative to their socioeconomic development and the general economy in the local market.
"We are in the middle of a new wave of industrial and societal development but the culture and governance in the game is stuck in the past," said FIFPRO General Secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann.
"Players must have a say on issues that affect their working conditions and take their rightful position in decision-making structures.
"It is time for a new 'social contract' and a commitment to treat players male, female, on all continents with dignity and respect."
The report said countries that have sound governance, stakeholder representation and collective agreements with player unions lead to stability and sustained development.
For example, the study showed players experienced better working conditions and stability in Netherlands, which has a small revenue, than they did in large football economies such as Turkey.
-Reuters/RNZ