European leagues, players’ union lash out at Fifa’s calendar ‘abuse’

A players’ union, the European leagues’ group and Spain’s LaLiga accused Fifa of “abuse” on Monday as they filed a joint complaint about the governing body’s international match schedule to European Union antitrust regulators.

Elite leagues are concerned at the impact of an expanding football calendar on wellbeing, with some players struggling from fatigue, injuries and the mental toll even though they are often compensated with enormous salaries.

“The complaint explains how Fifa’s imposition of decisions on the international calendar is an abuse of dominance and violates European Union law,” complainants Fifpro Europe, European Leagues and LaLiga said in a statement.

European Leagues is an association that includes the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 but not LaLiga.

A particular bone of contention is the Club World Cup, which has been revamped for next year, with an increase from seven to 32 clubs, and is to take place in the US for almost a month. As well as adding matches, that could delay clubs’ pre-season tours designed to expand global fan bases.

“It is getting to a tipping point. The feedback we have from players is that there is too much football being played and there is constant expansion,” Premier League CEO Richard Masters said in the complainants’ statement.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas accused Fifa of “acting solely in its own interest, without considering the damage to the entire football ecosystem.”

French captain Kylian Mbappe, in a video aired at the three bodies’ news conference, said: “When it’s too much, it’s too much.”

Fifa, however, argues that the international calendar was approved by representatives of all continents including Europe after consultation with Fifpro and leagues.

As well as a much larger Club World Cup, the next World Cup itself will also be expanded to 48 nations from 32.

European governing body Uefa has also increased its schedule, notably with the new Champions League format, but not been targeted in the complaint to regulators.

Mathieu Moreuil, Premier League director of international football relations and EU affairs, said that was because Fifa was responsible for the international calendar and relations were different with Uefa thanks to dialogue.

Earlier on Monday, Fifa said it would start negotiations with the sport’s stakeholders on the transfer system after the EU ruled parts of it were unlawful.

Fifa regulations say a player who terminates a contract before its term “without just cause” is liable to pay compensation to the club and where the player joins a new club they will be jointly liable for payment of compensation.

But the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), ruling on a high-profile case linked to former France player Lassana Diarra, stated on October 4 these dispositions were unlawful, which is likely to prompt a revamp.