The European branch of FIFProthe reunited European leagues and the Spanish league (LaLiga) announced, during a joint press conference in Brusselsthat the governing body of world football “abuses an obvious conflict of interest” by being “regulatory body and, at the same time, organizer of competitions” in violation of European law.
FIFPro is the world union of footballers, while the European leagues bring together more than a thousand clubs from 33 countries in Europe.
According to these organizations, the rules and behavior of the FIFA “harm the economic interests of the national leagues, as well as the health and safety of European football players.”
“Justice action before the European Commission is necessary to safeguard the European football sector”they added.
The FIFA is accused in particular of not having consulted on recent changes to the calendar, such as the introduction of a Club World Cup with 32 teams at the end of the season.
Something that the world football body denies, alluding to at least one common meeting in which its president participated. Gianni Infantino with the leaders of the FIFPro and those of the association of professional footballers (PFA), the players union in England and Welshwhich took place in Manchester in 2022.
The first edition of the Club World Cup expanded will take place in USAin June and July of next year, in which 12 European clubs are expected to participate.
Thus, many players will be forced to play during a time when they could be enjoying a vacation, a year before the World of selections expanded to 48 teams, which will be played in Mexico, United States and Canada.
A recent report from FIFPro accused the governing bodies of world football of endangering the health of footballers, while some leading players raised the possibility of going on strike to protest against the growing demands to which they are subjected.
Representatives of the national leagues, for their part, fear that their competitions will be affected, because the best players will miss domestic games to rest.
Before that complaint, the FIFA had denounced in July the “hypocrisy” of the leagues, “who apparently prefer a calendar packed with summer tours, often involving numerous trips around the world.”
Source: Ambito
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