Overloaded calendars: 03 large entities, including LaLIga, file a complaint against FIFA
The battle over calendars in football is intensifying. This Monday, three major football entities, the International Federation of Professional Footballers’ Associations (FIFPRO), the European Leagues and LaLiga, decided to file a complaint against FIFA for its controversial management of match schedules.
While UEFA has already extended its own calendar, with the Champions League offering two to four additional matches and the Nations League increasing by one match, FIFA, for its part, has a Club World Cup scheduled for 2025. This event, scheduled for June 15 to July 13, 2025 in the United States, adds to an already very busy schedule, provoking reactions among football players.
Tensions are building to the point where FIFPRO, the European Leagues and LaLiga have filed a joint complaint with the European Commission. They denounce the management of the international match calendar, in particular the 2025 Club World Cup, pointing to a conflict of interest between FIFA as competition organizer and its role as governing body.
The plaintiffs rely on previous judicial decisions to put pressure on FIFA, in particular the decisions favorable to the Super League and the player Lassana Diarra. They demand that FIFA change its management, arguing that its current practices are contrary to European Union requirements and endanger the health of players, as well as the economic interests of national leagues.
Faced with this complaint, FIFA will have to respond to the European Commission on what is now seen as one of the major challenges for the future of world football.