FIFA is willing to sit down with the World League Association and FIFPRO to prevent them taking legal action over the massively inflated new World Club Cup
The World League Association represents the Premier League and 45 other divisions while FIFPRO is a player’s union.
It seems that plans for a Club World Cup next summer is the final straw for several clubs who are willing to go to court to challenge FIFA’s ‘abuse of dominance’.
FIFA have written a letter to all parties inviting them to a meeting, to which they claim there has been zero response.
Due to their past, it’s easy for the World’s Governing Body to be painted as a greedy organisation motivated by money. Which they are.
Yet I’m not sure how much sympathy I have for the accusers. The same companies who will charge their customers over 90.00 pound for a shirt. Is their priority not equally making cash?
The reason they do that is because their action plan is to take advantage of a supporters emotional connection to the badge. Supporters will pay whatever price, and believe whatever is being said, because of the crest that Is saying this.
Arsenal are one of the worst at using buzzy words that Gooners fall for, manipulating a fanbase into believing that 21 years without a title is success.
Like Mr Wenger once said, ‘everyone believes their wife is the prettiest.’
That doesn’t mean what the club’s say have credibility.
Football is like any business, the priority being to make as much money as possible.
FIFA are shameful in how they don’t even try to pretend their incentive is anything else. At least they are honest.
There’s zero point in them pretending they care about players welfare. They are smart enough to know that would be an insult to our intelligence.
It’s less offensive then clubs pretending they are any different using a fan’s love for the shirt as a shield to hide behind.
The likes of Arsenal want to try and pretend with a straight face they are motivated by player’s health and that their priority is employers getting rest.
The Gunners response to a Euro’s and the Copa America is to be playing Man United and Liverpool in America.
That’s nearly half the Prem in USA for preseason.
The same teams who are challenging the Club World Cup because of a gruelling schedule.
Is travelling round the world for friendlies motivated by the best possible rest and conditioning or are owners being paid millions to bring their brand to that part of the universe?
The exact same motivation they want to challenge FIFA over.
Let’s say there is a world where the Club World Cup can be moved or even stopped.
Let’s say in the calendar from May – August zero competitive fixtures exist.
Tell me that players would spend months on holiday with their loved ones?
Tell me that that the Kroenke family would insist on paying for the squad to stay in the UK for massages, swimming and relaxation.
Tell me that Mikel Arteta would insist that the Gunners don’t play outside London so they can mentally switch off quicker by getting home.
In reality, give 20 Prem clubs a summer free of competition and they will be flying around the globe straight away. Owners will be like managers of a band, going on tour for dates and venues of whoever bids the highest.
If that’s the case, we may just as well do as FIFA asks.
Here’s an example of where The World League Association’s argument falls down.
Just three days after the Prem campaign finished, knowing Euros and Copa America were weeks away, Newcastle and Spurs, so worried about welfare and players being overplayed ……played each other in …
Australia!
Did either manager tell their bosses to cancel because of players welfare?
Did Ange Postecoglou march into Daniel Levy’s offer and refuse to travel due to his team needing a rest?
Did Eddie Howe send an email educating those in power the danger of playing too many games
Of course, not….
If clubs are making money anyway by playing each other in random locations, we may just as well be entertained by it all
Dan
Show Me the Money!
Dan, I believe that football fans are not as silly as you seem to think they are.
If they can’t afford to buy a shirt, or just don’t want one, they won’t buy it.
Commitment and love of the badge comes in many ways – hell, for roughly seventeen years, I couldn’t afford to go on a regular basis to Highbury, but my commitment to the club was as strong then as it is today.
Isn’t that scenario where we all started from?
As for the rest of your article, I agree with your analysis of the organisations and clubs – but remember, players are contracted to said clubs and if they are told to go to xyz they probably don’t have a say in the matter.
Mind you, with the megabucks they’re paid, I don’t think they have a hard life, do you?
It will be interesting to know (if we ever do) exactly how much money Arsenal made from their apparently 11,500-mile round trip for the three-match US tour.
Given the first match (vs Bournemouth) attracted 13,000 people it may as well have been played at Bournemouth’s ground. The second (vs Man Utd) attracted just over 60,000 which is good (although less than you’d get at Old Trafford), but still not the record-breaking attendance from the corresponding 2023 tour match. Only in the last one (vs Liverpool) was there a 70,000+ attendance.
In my experience, the most prominent critics of the new Club World Cup tend to be from those clubs that aren’t participating.
Obviously, we’ll all have to see how it turns out. If it’s a flop, then Arsenal (and others) have dodged that particular bullet. However, if it’s a success every club will be clamouring to be in it (similar to what happened after the early seasons of the old European Cup).
In my opinion. If these much increased and often mismatched games are in countries and against teams that are unlikely to get a crowd of more than a few thousand and are broadcast just for the TV money then they are a waste of time. Like England playing the Faroe islands in a euros qualifier. Ridiculous in my eyes. FIFA only have one aim. To get backhanders to choose where the games are played. I.e a world cup in Qatar…. rant over…
So what’s wrong with a World Cup in Qatar?
That’s discrimination, marginalization and intolerance for the Arabs
it has also been proven that the only reason it was played in a desert where no one watches football was because of the BILLIONS in backhanders from the Sheikhs.
That’s not discrimination or intolerance at all, that’s BRIBERY!
👍 Weren’t those luxury tin can accommodations (if you could get one) just lovely.
The shirts cost £80 when you buy them from the club. Out of that £80, the club gets the massive amount of £12.
Thankfully we aren’t in the tournament next year, if it does go ahead, as it finishes in mid July. If an English team get to the final the players may well miss the start of the following season, as they will have to have 21 days away from training.
I’ve read elsewhere that players are talking about going on strike due to the amount of games they’re now being asked to play. I hope the rulers of the game, FIFA and UEFA, listen to the players.
Or clubs listen to the players ?
Arsenal choice to play in America
That was for a 3 match pre-season tour, not a 1 month tournament.
But if the argument is players welfare ?
Can’t have it both ways
Do you not understand the difference between a pre-season 3 match tour and a 1 month tournament ?
Yes but the argument is players are burnt out and need a rest ?
You can’t say to FIFA players are exhausted but we are now heading to America lol
Physically and mentally they could be resting in London
They do need a rest, not play another new tournament just after they’ve finished playing their league games and the new extended CL.
You really ain’t got a scooby if you’re comparing friendlies, where academy players are getting a chance, to a tournament where there will be a lot of pressure on the 1st team squad to win 🙄
Maybe there should be a new rule that allows teams to have a 50 man squad…
So if you need a rest , rest
Don’t travel halfway round the world
Have friendlies in London
They’ve had a rest, the 3 games they’ve played in the USA are to get match fit 🙄
Why not play them in the UK
I thought welfare was paramount?
Already explained it to you Dan 🙄