An independent study commissioned by the European Forum, of which Le Monde became aware of the consequences of the draft modification of the international football timetable carried by FIFA.
By and
It is on behalf of “football development”, that the International Football Federation (FIFA), presided over by Italo-Switzerland Gianni Infantino, wishes to set up, from 2028, a World Cup all the two years. For the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), this idea may “kill” the golden egg chicken that is the planetary tournament, organized every four years since 1930.
While FIFA launched this fall a series of consultations around this background revision in the international calendar, this project caused a show of shields. In the point that UEFA commissioned a study at an independent agency in September to quantify the potential consequences of this surrender for international meetings for European football.
presented in videoconference, Tuesday, October 19, afternoon, to the leaders of the 55 national Federations of the UEFA, the conclusions of this study conducted by the English agency Oliver and Ohlbaum, of which [Nute] became aware, plan Up to 3 billion euros of losses over four years for the only European federations in case of establishment of the new calendar.
Continental competitions would also take place every two years
In a presentation made in early October in front of “football stakeholders” – to which [Nute] had access -, French Arsene Wenger, Director of Football Development in FIFA, felt that “the Current international calendar is exceeded “.
According to the arsenal London Club coach, the current format, consisting of five windows for international games during the season, does not offer football fans what they would like: ” Important games “. “We want to rearrange it more effectively,” he argued.
FIFA proposes a drastic modification of the calendar, which, in addition to a World Cup every two years, provides for a tightening of qualifying matches gathered in a single block in October (seven games), or in two (four games in October and three in March).
Such a project would induce that the euro and the other international competitions organized by the continental confederations would take place every two years too. According to FIFA, this reform will reduce the movements of international players and incessant round trips between clubs and selections. Without increasing the number of games played by the internationals.
You have 56.54% of this article to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.