MADRID, 11 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Premier League clubs have unanimously rejected FIFA’s proposals to celebrate the World Cup on a biennial basis, as well as international dates starting in 2024.
The 20 top-flight teams in England met in London on Thursday to address controversial calendar plans drawn up by FIFA.
The Premier has opposed the measure on grounds of “player well-being, fan experience, preseason preparations and the quality of the competition.”
The competition’s executive director, Richard Masters, stated that “the Premier League is committed to preventing any radical changes to the FIFA international match schedule after 2024 that would negatively affect the well-being of the players and threaten competitiveness, the schedule , the structures and traditions of national football “.
“We are open to reforms and new ideas, but they must improve the complementary balance between national and international football to improve at all levels. This process must also involve significant agreements with the leagues (…) We will continue to work with groups of fans, players, national and international stakeholders to find solutions that are best for the long-term future of football, “added Masters.
The Premier League’s opposition to FIFA’s plans had previously been voiced through the European leagues, of which the English top flight is a member. In this way, the Premier joins UEFA and the European Club Association to reject the biennial World Cup.
According to proposals for the men’s calendar developed by a technical advisory group under the leadership of Arsene Wenger, a major tournament would take place each summer and qualifying matches would be shortened and condensed into one or at most two international breaks, rather than the current five.
THE PREMIER WILL RESUME EIGHT DAYS AFTER THE 2022 WORLD CUP
On the other hand, the Premier League also decided the calendar for the next year and the competition will resume only eight days after the final of the 2022 World Cup. In this way, any Premier League player who plays the final of the World Cup next year will have he will have just over a week to recover before action resumes in England.
With Qatar 2022 scheduled in the middle of the European football calendar, the biggest competitions are forced to take a hiatus to accommodate the tournament. The Qatar World Cup will begin on November 21, 2022 and will run until December 18, which is the scheduled date for the final.
As such, the 2022-23 Premier League season will kick off a week earlier than usual on August 6 and matches will continue through November 13, giving some international teams just eight days with their squads before the game begins. tournament.
The Premier League will resume on Boxing Day, eight days after the World Cup final in Losail, meaning any England-based players involved will have a quick turnaround before returning to domestic competition.