European leagues and players’ union attack FIFA calendar ‘abuses’

BRUSSELS: A players’ union, the European Leagues Group and Spain’s La Liga on Monday accused FIFA of “abuse” by filing a joint complaint over the governing body’s international match calendar with the bloc’s antitrust regulators European.

Elite leagues are concerned about the impact of an expanding football calendar on wellbeing, with some players suffering fatigue, injuries and mental suffering, although they are often offset by huge wages.

“The complaint explains how FIFA’s imposition of decisions on the international calendar constitutes an abuse of a dominant position and violates European Union law,” the plaintiffs from FIFPRO Europe, European Leagues and LaLiga said in a press release.

The European Leagues are an association which brings together the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 but not La Liga.

A particular bone of contention is the Club World Cup, which has been rearranged for next year, with an increase from seven to 32 clubs, and is due to take place in the United States for almost a month. As well as adding matches, it could delay clubs’ pre-season tours designed to expand the global fan base.

“We are reaching a critical point. The feedback we are receiving from players is that there is too much football being played and there is constant expansion,” Premier League CEO Richard Masters said in a press release. plaintiffs.

La Liga president Javier Tebas accused FIFA of “acting solely in its own interest, without considering the damage caused to the entire football ecosystem.”

‘TOO MUCH’

French captain Kylian Mbappé, in a video broadcast during the press conference of the three bodies, declared: “When it’s too much, it’s too much.”

FIFA, however, says the international calendar was approved by representatives from all continents, including Europe, after consultation with FIFPRO and the leagues.

In addition to a much larger Club World Cup, the next World Cup itself will also be expanded to 48 nations instead of 32.

European governing body UEFA has also increased its schedule, notably with the new Champions League format, but was not targeted by the complaint filed with regulators.

Mathieu Moreuil, the Premier League’s director of international football relations and European affairs, said this was because FIFA was responsible for the international calendar and relations with UEFA were different through dialogue.

Earlier on Monday, FIFA announced it would begin negotiations with the sport’s stakeholders over the transfer system after the EU ruled parts of it were illegal.

FIFA regulations state that a player who terminates a contract before its end “without just cause” is required to pay compensation to the club, and if the player joins a new club, they will be jointly and severally liable for payment of the compensation. compensation.

But the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), ruling on a high-profile case linked to former French player Lassana Diarra, ruled on October 4 that these provisions were illegal, which should prompt an overhaul.