European leagues to take legal action against FIFA over ‘congested football calendar’

European league bodies and FIFPRO Europe will jointly file a complaint against FIFA over the “congested international football calendar”.

In a statement on Tuesday, FIFPRO, the global body representing professional players, said it would be filing the suit before the European Commission alongside the European Leagues, representing 39 leagues and 1,130 clubs in 33 countries.

The statement accused FIFA of favouring its own competitions and commercial interests at the expense of the European national leagues and “the welfare of players”.

The coalition added that the international football calendar is “now beyond saturation,” “unsustainable for national leagues,” and a “risk for the health of players”.

“For several years, the leagues and player unions have repeatedly urged FIFA to develop a clear, transparent, and fair process regarding the international match calendar,” the statement reads.

“The latest formal request was sent ahead of the FIFA Congress and Council in May 2024. Regretfully, FIFA has consistently refused to include national leagues and player unions in its decision-making process.

The coalition argued that FIFA’s football hegemony “infringes EU competition law” and “abuses dominance.

The statement added that while FIFA is a regulator, its role as a competition organiser is a conflict of interest that requires transparency in all its activities, which FIFA has failed to provide.

The document also revealed that the lawsuit is one of many planned by “individual leagues and player unions at the national level” against FIFA, in addition to existing legal actions.

There have been growing concerns about the tedious football calendar. Some top players and officials have aired their opinions about the busy schedule.

In 2022, FIFA announced its intention to increase the number of men’s Club World Cup participants from seven to 32 teams.

The federation also added that the competition will be switched from an annual tournament, and the first edition will be hosted by the US. from an annual event to a quadrennial tournament.

Last year, FIFA also introduced the “Intercontinental Cup” to replace the annual Club World Cup.