The saturated football calendar has been a frequent topic for players and pundits alike in the last 12 months, with the like of Dani Carvajal, Thibaut Courtois and Rodri Hernandez all being tragically struck with long-term injuries after pointing out the intense demands on them. Now the European Leagues association have joined forces with FIFPro Europe and La Liga to submit a formal complaint about FIFA to the European Union Commission.
They claim that FIFA are ‘abusing their power’ with the scheduling of the men’s football calendar, and endangering the well-being of players in the process. They also say FIFA’s scheduling shows clear conflicts of interest, infringement of competition law, and negatively impacts the health of national competitions.
Today, @EuropeanLeagues and #FIFPRO Europe, representing European national leagues and player unions, together with @LaLiga, have filed a complaint to the @EU_Commission against #FIFA over its conduct concerning the imposition of the international match calendar, including… pic.twitter.com/nOLjtU20KT
— European Leagues (@EuropeanLeagues) October 14, 2024
The most recent FIFA calendar includes the addition of the revamped Club World Cup, which now includes 32 teams from across the world, and is due to take place in June and July of 2025. It would mean the current campaign is 11 months long, and players could play as many as many as 72 games in a year. In addition, there has been a 4% rise in injuries in La Liga this season.
