Leagues and unions take legal action against FIFA over international calendar

FIFPro Europe and the European Leagues body released a joint statement on Tuesday, asserting that FIFA's actions violate EU competition laws and amount to an abuse of power.

FIFPro is the worldwide players' union, while European Leagues is a coalition of over one thousand clubs from 33 European countries.

They argue that FIFA's decisions regarding the international match calendar have negatively impacted national leagues' financial interests and players' well-being.

Additionally, they claim that FIFA's dual role as a regulator and competition organizer presents a conflict of interest. FIFA has come under fire for making significant changes to the calendar without proper consultation, including the introduction of a 32-team Club World Cup.

The inaugural expanded Club World Cup is scheduled to be held in the United States in June and July next year, with 12 European clubs slated to participate.

This means that many top players from the continent will be required to compete during what would have been their traditional off-season, just a year before the expanded 48-team World Cup in North America.

The international match calendar has reached a point of oversaturation, posing a threat to the sustainability of national leagues and the well-being of players, according to statements made by FIFPro and European Leagues.

FIFA's recent decisions have consistently prioritized its own tournaments and financial interests, neglecting its duties as a governing body and causing harm to the economic concerns of national leagues and the health of players.

National leagues and player unions, which advocate for the interests of all clubs and players at the domestic level, and establish labor relations through mutually agreed upon solutions, are opposed to the unilateral determination of global regulations.

In order to safeguard football, its ecosystem, and its workforce from FIFA's independent rulings, European leagues and player unions view legal action as the only responsible course of action.

The statement makes reference to the Super League ruling by the European Court of Justice in December, which mandated FIFA and other governing bodies to exercise their regulatory functions in a transparent, objective, non-discriminatory, and proportionate manner.

They argue that FIFA's handling of the calendar fails to meet these standards.

Spain's La Liga, despite not being a part of European Leagues, has also supported the complaint.

This development follows legal actions taken by England's Professional Footballers' Association and the French UNFP in Belgian courts in June, with the aim of determining whether FIFA's actions have violated players' rights under European Union law.