“What do you think of the expanded formula of the Club World Cup, which will increase from 7 to 32 teams from the summer of 2025?
We are vehemently against it. We add up the competitions without thinking for a single second about the consequences of such decisions. World football leaders are not sincere when they say that we should not overload the calendar. In fact, they do as they want and above all do quite the opposite. They are not interested in the health of the players. But it won’t last like this.
Do you believe that the health of the players is threatened?
No matter how much we sound the alarm, we are not listened to. They only think about money. We really need to sit around a table to preserve the health of the players. This cannot last. Every summer, there’s something. This summer, there are the Euros and the Olympic Games and, the following summer, there is the Club World Cup.
What are the risks for players?
There are two problems: the risk of injuries, which are more and more numerous. But there is also mental wear and tear. You can’t be constantly motivated with this multiplication of matches. The brain doesn’t follow. The quality of the game suffers. And then, we criticize the players by saying that they are overpaid and that they play badly…
“One day, the protest will be not to play a competition”
Were you consulted before the creation of this revisited Club World Cup?
These are ephemeral and bogus consultations. We pretend to ask the opinion of a few… Moreover, the criticism is increasingly strong from the players, but also from the coaches.
What are some ways for players to defend themselves?
One day, the protest will be about not playing a competition.
Do you really believe it?
Yes, it’s starting to take shape. This is going beyond the limits. FifPro (the global players’ union), which I chaired not so long ago, is mobilized. Before, we had around forty matches per season. Now there are sixty. And clubs always play pretty much the same players to try to win.
Do you imagine a possible movement against this Club World Cup?
This can serve as a trigger. The way this was imposed is not acceptable. To make the pill pass, we distribute money. It becomes a caricature. We are in a system that only thinks about business. »
2023-12-21 19:01:19
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