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Oh boy, more band aids…
FIFA’s brand new Club World Cup, set to debut in 2025 and host the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, is set to change things in the footballing landscape. In part because of the introduction of a new tournament will always cause shockwaves, but also because this is a club tournament occurring between June and July. Such timing for a club tournament is completely unprecedented and requires, frankly, a lot of maneuvering to accommodate. One of those maneuvers will be to give participating clubs the option to open up a brand new transfer window, FIFA officially confirmed (as captured by @iMiaSanMia) following a FIFA council meeting in Zurich on Thursday:
FIFA confirms it will allow member associations of participating clubs in the new Club World Cup to open their transfer window from 1 to 10 June 2025 so new signings can be registered before the tournament starts on 15 June
But that is not all. FIFA will also allow clubs to replace players whose contracts expire on June 30, with June 27-July 3 the window in which clubs can register emergency replacements. In Bayern’s case, if the likes of Joshua Kimmich or Leroy Sané were to leave on June 30, 2025, which upon the time of writing is the current expiry date of their contracts, the Bavarians would be able to add another two players to the roster in the given time period.
But that still is not all. FIFA have also confirmed that they are now willing to forego the requirement that clubs release players to international tournaments this one time. Therefore, players who are eligible to play in both the Club World Cup and the Copa America, which occur at the same time, will have to choose which tournament to participate in. A notable Bavarian case here would be Alphonso Davies, who would have to choose between leading his country as their iconic talisman or participating in a tournament during which he may just end up leaving to Real Madrid. It is a real mess.
It is really difficult to see any of these announcements as anything but band aids for an impossible situation. Or worse, problems just waiting to occur. The Bundesliga, for example, ends on the 17th of May. The Premier League ends on the 25th of May. Will there be any time between the end of these competitions and the discussions for transfers in this new transfer window?
Will players start diverting focus from the end of the season to discuss making a move to a club in the Club World Cup? What about players participating in the Nations League finals, which takes place between June 4-8? Will they be participating in finals and negotiate a transfer in their spare time? Will more cases like Dayot Upamecano’s happen?
Even assuming transfer happen seamlessly, which is a very generous assumption, will players brought in during June really be able to get up to speed with the rest of the team in the week or two before the tournament starts? And if they have trouble getting up to speed, how will the players brought in during June 27 to July 3 fare? The tournament sounded disastrous when it was initially announced but time has only made it look worse and the measures taken to implement it continue to look more and more desperate. How is this all going to work out?
If you are looking for a discussion on Bayern Munich’s recent form, the potential impact of Jamal Musiala’s injury and what it might mean for Bayern Munich, along with our takes on the German national team squad selection, then we have you covered with the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show. You can check the show out on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
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