The World Association of Football Leagues and players’ union FIFPro have called on FIFA to review the calendar planned for the new Club World Cupwhich will premiere in 2025, and warned that, in case of refusal, they could take legal action.
In a letter sent on May 2 to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a copy of which was obtained by AFP this Thursday, the leagues and FIFPro argue that the football competition calendar is now “beyond saturation”.
The future Club World Cup, with 32 participating teams, is scheduled to be held from June 15 to July 13, 2025, in the United States. The request made to the FIFA Council is that this Club World Cup be rescheduled and that negotiations be opened on the international calendar until 2030.
“I believe the #ClubWC will be incredible with 32 teams.” 🤩
FIFA Legend and former FIFA Club World Cup winner @KAKA believes the newly-expanded competition will benefit football around the world 🌍 pic.twitter.com/gSz8cuP5Yn
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) May 8, 2024
“If FIFA refuses to formally commit to resolving the issues mentioned at its next Council, we will be obliged to advise our members on the options available, individually and collectively, to proactively protect their interests,” the letter reads.
“These options include legal action against FIFA, for which we have sought the opinion of an external expert,” they write.
In a statement, FIFA noted that “the dates of the Club World Cup have been defined in a way that is in harmony with the international calendar, to leave sufficient time between the final of the tournament and the start of the season for several national championships.”
“A minimum of three days of rest will be guaranteed between games to preserve the well-being of the players”, adds the International Federation.
However, the Association of Leagues and FIFPro accuse FIFA of “continuously making unilateral decisions that benefit its own competitions and commercial interests, negatively affecting national leagues and players”. “For a long period, FIFA has ignored repeated attempts by leagues and unions to resolve this issue,” he added.
The matter was discussed during the International Council meeting in April, in London, as AFP learned from a source close to the negotiations.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
