FIFA has been threatened with legal action by the bodies representing the Premier League and the Professional Footballers’ Association unless it scraps plans to launch a 32-team Club World Cup next summer.
The World League Association (WLA) and FIF Pro have written a joint letter to Gianni Infantino demanding a “rescheduled date” for the new competition, which will involve both Manchester City and Chelsea.
FIFA will also review plans to revive the Intercontinental Cup between the holders of the Champions League and Copa Libertadores, after threatening “legal action” if demands are not met at the FIFA Executive Board meeting in Bangkok next week. I’m looking for it. The current Club World Cup.
Anyone who saw the letter telegraph sportsThe document was sent last week, days after Premier League chief executive Richard Masters publicly condemned the lack of consultation on expanding international club competitions, amid growing revolt over the resulting crowding of matches.
It found that FIFA had “made unilateral decisions that benefited its own competitions and commercial interests while adversely impacting domestic leagues and players” and that “no league or This is also reflected in the letter condemning the association’s repeated attempts to ignore it. .
It added: “As a result of FIFA’s recent strategy to expand its own competitions, the calendar is now beyond saturation, with national leagues unable to organize competitions properly, resulting in economic damage.” , players are being forced into situations beyond their natural qualifications.” There are restrictions, there is a risk of serious injury, and it affects your welfare and fundamental rights.
“Leagues and players cannot be expected to simply ‘adapt’ to FIFA’s decisions, which are driven by FIFA’s business strategy. We have reached a stage where this situation must be addressed immediately from both a procedural and substantive point of view. ”
Other demands include FIFA “withdrawing its decision regarding the international calendar” and “resuming discussions regarding the 2024-2030 release period”.
The letter, signed by WLA Secretary General Jerome Perlmutter and FIFA Acting Director General Stefan Burchkalter, concludes: about the options available to them individually and collectively to actively protect their interests. These options include legal action against FIFA, and we are currently seeking external expert advice in this regard. ”
FIFA has been contacted for comment.