Premier League and La Liga chiefs are planning a potential ban of the revamped Club World Cup 2025. The tournament has a new format, which will come into effect from 2025. The inaugural edition is set to take place next year.
However, Premier League and La Liga clubs could boycott the tournament. PL chief Richard Masters, PFA boss Maheta Molango, and La Liga president Javier Tebas are leading the charge against FIFA. They believe players will be overloaded with the burden of an extra set of games due to the tournament. Maheta said (via GOAL):
“Those who run the game need to listen. If they don’t, then as unions we have a responsibility to the players to take action — and the legal route is the next step. The governing bodies have had every chance to meaningfully engage with us on this, but they have failed to do so. Current player workloads are unsustainable. People are realising the amount of games being pushed into the fixture calendar just don’t fit.”
The group believes football is killing its product. A potential legal battle against FIFA isn’t ruled out if certain conditions are reportedly not met.
Club World Cup 2025: What’s the new format?
The new Club World Cup format will be played in the 2025 edition of the tournament. It will take place in the United States. Teams will play three group games before a potential four-game knockout run. Hence, the finalists are set to play seven games.
The La Liga, PL, and PFA chiefs believe the timeline won’t allow players to recover. The tournament is scheduled to take place from June 15 to July 13. Hence, the Chiefs players will be deprived of rest following the season-ending Champions League final.
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