The fixture congestion due to the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup has prompted the leagues and unions to file a legal complaint at the European Commission.
On Monday, October 14, a group consisting of the European football leagues and players’ union FIFPRO raised concerns regarding the dominance of the global footballing governing body, FIFA.
They alleged FIFA of imposing a busy calendar over leagues and players which is “beyond saturation” and that the governing body did not consult with the leagues before announcing the schedule in March last year.
The altercation reached its peak as FIFA announced the 32-team Club World Cup that will be played every four years.
However, the complaining group has more importantly highlighted FIFA’s general conduct around this issue, saying that it has favoured its own commercial interests which has ultimately “harmed the economic interests of national leagues and the welfare of players.”
Manchester City’s recent request to the FA to postpone domestic matches at the start of next season in order to allow more recovery time after the Club World Cup has been cited as a prime example of the adverse effects.
The PL can also underline the fact that their format has been the same for the last 30 years and the congestion has been caused by UEFA and FIFA’s international fixture expansion.
FIFA defends actions over fixture congestion
Even though FIFA has been in the line of firing for fixture congestion, it has defended itself by saying that the announcement of the calendar in the 2023 Congress in Rwanda was a result of extensive consultation.
FIFA also accused the leagues of “hypocrisy” as the leagues “prefer a calendar filled with friendlies and summer tours.”
FIFA Vice-President Aleksander Ceferin on Thursday said to BBC,
“Who is complaining? Those who earn the highest salaries and those teams with a squad of 25 top-level players. Those with lower salaries and hardly 11 players do not complain. They love to play.”
Players like Manchester City’s Rodri had earlier spoken about the demanding fixtures and even said that players were “close” to striking over the issue.
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