UEFA: ‘There are real dangers associated with a biennial World Cup’

FIFA

had proposed to hold the

every two years and

UEFA

President

Aleksander Ceferin

has already stated that Europe could boycott the competition if the change goes ahead as UEFA believe this change could pose “real dangers”. According to the federation, those proposing the plan excluded stakeholders from discussions over the proposal.

"UEFA is disappointed with the methodology adopted,"

UEFA said in a statement,

"which has so far led to radical reform projects being communicated and openly promoted before having been given, together with other stakeholders, the chance to participate in any consultation meeting.

“There are real dangers associated with this plan: the dilution of the value of the No 1 world football event, whose quadrennial occurrence gives it a mystique that generations of fans have grown up with.

"The erosion of sporting opportunities for the weaker national teams by replacing regular matches with final tournaments; the risk to sustainability for players, forced to engage in summer high-intensity competitions every year instead of longer recuperation breaks in alternate years.

"These are just some of the serious concerns that the FIFA proposal provokes at first glance and they cannot be dispelled simply with unsubstantiated promotional slogans on the supposed benefits of a thicker calendar for final tournaments.

"UEFA is of the opinion that the future of the international calendar should be the subject of genuine consultation and exchange between FIFA, the confederations, and key stakeholders of competitions.

"Kicking off with an open discussion on perceived problems and considering a range of solutions that will be identified in the course of the debate, taking into account the interest of the game and the legitimate point of view of the different parties. 

"In this phase, the respect for a consultation process with the stakeholders - which should be unbiased - would suggest abstaining from promotional campaigns of unilaterally pre-determined concepts that nobody has been given the possibility to see in detail and which have wide-ranging, often unexpected, effects.

"On 14 September, UEFA and its 55 member associations asked FIFA to organize a special meeting with them to be able to voice their concerns on the impact of such plans. UEFA and its 55 member associations have to date not yet received a reply from FIFA on this request."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been among the critics of the plan, which has been supported by Arsene Wenger and some ex-players. The manager believes the proposed plan could put player’s welfare at risk as fixture congestion would continue to pile up.

Sergio Busquets believes if the change goes ahead, there will come a point when players will “explode” from burnout.

England boss Gareth Southgate has met with Wenger to discuss the proposal and is open to it but admits that the scheduling would need to be changed for a biennial World Cup.

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