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FIFA responded to the players’ complaint by reiterating that the current international match calendar was unanimously approved by its Council, which includes representatives from all continents, including Europe, after “a broad and inclusive consultation that involved FIFPRO and league organizations.”
The organization referred back to its previous statements made in July when European leagues and the global players’ union (FIFPRO) had already announced their intention to formally file a complaint, which was officially submitted this Monday to the European Commission, accusing FIFA of “unilaterally imposing” the international match schedule.
“FIFA’s calendar is the only tool that ensures international football can continue to survive, coexist, and thrive alongside national and continental club football,” they stated. FIFA also criticized that “some European leagues (which are both organizers and regulators of competitions) act with commercial interests, hypocrisy, and without considering others.”
“These leagues apparently prefer a schedule packed with friendlies and summer tours, which often involve extensive travel across the globe. In contrast, FIFA must protect the broader interests of global football, including player welfare, at all levels of the game,” they added.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, during the opening of the last congress held on May 17th, noted that “FIFA organizes about 1% of the matches involving the world’s top clubs, while 98-99% of matches are organized by different leagues, associations, and confederations.”
“FIFA funds football all over the world. The revenue we generate doesn’t just go to a few clubs in one country but to 211 countries around the globe. No other organization does that. Our mission is to organize events and competitions and develop football worldwide because 70% of FIFA member associations wouldn’t have football without the resources that come directly from FIFA,” Infantino added in the session held in Bangkok.
On Monday, representatives from FIFPRO Europe, the European Leagues, and Spain’s LaLiga held a press conference in Brussels to explain the details of their complaint, accusing FIFA of abusing its dominant position. They emphasized that “recent jurisprudence makes it clear that FIFA must carry out its regulatory duties in a transparent, objective, non-discriminatory, and proportionate way to avoid conflicts of interest.”
According to the complainants, their claim aims to push FIFA into establishing a “fair and inclusive decision-making process” when developing the international match calendar, ensuring “the well-being and fundamental rights” of the players, as well as the sustainability of national leagues.
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