EPL
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters today criticised FIFA for their lack of consultation over the revamped Club World Cup that kicks off in the United States next summer.
FIFA’s expanded, 32-team Club World Cup, takes place between June 15 and July 13 next year.
FIFA pointed out that the Club World Cup only takes place once every four years and will only impact Chelsea and Manchester City from England’s top flight in 2025. The Premier League also held a summer series in the US last summer.
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Yet Masters, speaking at the European Leagues general assembly in London, called out FIFA over their poor communication for the new format.
“There is a chasm between the consultation with leagues between UEFA and FIFA, where there is none,” he said.
Masters went on to say the increasingly congested football calendar had reached a “tipping point”.
He said: “The feedback we have from players is that there is too much football being played… if you pour more liquid into the cup that’s already full, it will overflow. And that’s what’s happening at the moment, not just in terms of the calendar but in terms of the players’ abilities to be able to perform at their best in the competitions they want to play in. So I think it stands to reason that if you overload the calendar and overload the players, at some point, something’s got to give.”
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Elsewhere on Friday, the body that represents 40 leagues in Europe ruled out domestic matches being played abroad — for now. This came after La Liga president Javier Tebas yesterday insisted matches would take place overseas following a resolution between US promoter Relevent Sports and FIFA earlier this month.
When questioned on this matter, Jacco Swart, managing director of the European leagues, replied: “This is definitely not on the agenda of the European Leagues yet. Currently, I’m not saying never, (but) it’s not a point of priority.”
On the same topic, Masters added: “The door looks ajar potentially in America anyway but it’s not one of our current plans, it really isn’t.”
Masters was also asked about the Premier League case against Manchester City over alleged breaches of its financial rules.
In response, he said: “We can’t comment on the case, the date has been set, and the case will resolve itself in the near future.”
Pressed on whether a second City title while the 115 charges remained outstanding would damage the integrity of European league football, Masters said: “It’s not for the football authorities to start being selective about who they would like to win the league. The key point is that you’ve got that jeopardy until the final day. Who knows where we will be on May 19?”
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An independent commission is set to hear the case later this year — possibly in October or November.
City said in 2023 they welcomed a review of this matter by an independent commission “to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of our position.”
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(Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images)
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Tom Burrows is a football news writer for The Athletic UK. He was previously a staff editor for almost three years. Prior to that, he worked on news and investigations for national newspapers. Follow Tom on Twitter @TBurrows16
