European players and leagues to file complaint with EU Commission over FIFA’s ‘overcrowded calendar’

Representatives of European soccer leagues and gamers are submitting a authorized grievance with the EU Fee to problem FIFA’s allegedly “unsustainable” soccer calendar.

In a joint assertion on Tuesday, European Leagues and FIFPRO Europe argue that FIFA infringes EU competitors regulation and that its actions are “an abuse of dominance”.

“FIFA’s choices over the past years have repeatedly favoured its personal competitions and industrial pursuits, uncared for its obligations as a governing physique, and harmed the financial pursuits of nationwide leagues and the welfare of gamers,” the assertion mentioned.

“The worldwide match calendar is now past saturation and has turn into unsustainable for nationwide leagues and a threat for the well being of gamers.”

World Cup growth accountable?

The battle between soccer leagues and FIFA escalated lately, after the world governing physique of soccer’s choices to increase the FIFA World Cup from 32 to 48 groups in 2026, and to introduce a 32-team model of the Membership World Cup in 2025 from the earlier seven groups.

The assertion mentioned nationwide leagues and participant unions have been constantly excluded from the decision-making course of regardless of their opposition to the brand new calendar.

The grievance, which will probably be formally filed by European Leagues, La Liga, and FIFPRO Europe, will run in parallel with separate actions initiated by particular person leagues and participant unions on the nationwide stage.

English, French and Italian participant unions have beforehand introduced an motion with the Brussels industrial courtroom in June.

It additionally follows a December European Court docket of Justice ruling that discovered FIFA and UEFA abused their dominant place as regulators and competitors organisers in a case introduced by storied golf equipment that attempted to launch a breakaway Tremendous League in 2021.

FIFA slams the transfer as ‘hypocritical’

FIFA’s response got here shortly afterwards on Tuesday.

“The present calendar was unanimously accredited” by a number of entities, the world soccer governing physique mentioned in a put up on X, “following a complete and inclusive session, which included FIFPRO and league our bodies.”

“Some leagues in Europe — themselves competitors organisers and regulators — are performing with industrial self-interest, hypocrisy, and with out consideration to everybody else on this planet,” it mentioned.

“These leagues apparently desire a calendar crammed with friendlies and summer season excursions, typically involving intensive international journey.”

The European Fee in Brussels is the manager arm of the 27-nation European Union and may intervene in alleged breaches of competitors regulation.

FIFA manages the worldwide video games and tournaments calendar, which mandates when golf equipment should launch their gamers known as up for nationwide groups.

Prime-tier leagues, which shut down their weekend packages for nationwide crew fixtures, have lengthy claimed they weren’t totally consulted on the newest model, which runs till 2030.

Euronews has contacted the European Fee for remark.