Blatter proposes cap on number of domestic matches

[mfw13]

Personally, I think its about time that FIFA took a more active role in this. That said, I have always been puzzled why the players themselves have not taken more of an active role on this issue given that they are the ones who are most affected by bloated leagues and qualifying campaigns.

My initial thoughts are player should be prohibited from playing more than 4500 minutes of club soccer in a given year (the equivalent of 50 full matches). Domestic leagues should be restricted to 18 teams and one cup competition.

Confederations should be also be forced to cut back their WC qualifying schedules so that countries would play a maximum of 12 matches. For example, South America could switch to a format with two five team groups, and CONCACAF could cut its program back by 4 matches by making the second round knockout, instead of a group stage. UEFA could reduce its fixture by having some kind of preliminary round to eliminate some of the minnows such as San Marino, the Faroe Islands, Liechtenstein, etc.

[Jasonisimo]

Can you provide a link to the story?

[AFCA]

Personally, I think its about time that FIFA took a more active role in this. That said, I have always been puzzled why the players themselves have not taken more of an active role on this issue given that they are the ones who are most affected by bloated leagues and qualifying campaigns.

My initial thoughts are player should be prohibited from playing more than 4500 minutes of club soccer in a given year (the equivalent of 50 full matches). Domestic leagues should be restricted to 18 teams and one cup competition.

Confederations should be also be forced to cut back their WC qualifying schedules so that countries would play a maximum of 12 matches. For example, South America could switch to a format with two five team groups, and CONCACAF could cut its program back by 4 matches by making the second round knockout, instead of a group stage. UEFA could reduce its fixture by having some kind of preliminary round to eliminate some of the minnows such as San Marino, the Faroe Islands, Liechtenstein, etc.

And nonsense tournaments like the Confederation cup of course.

[M]

And nonsense tournaments like the Confederation cup of course.

Precisely. I'll believe that Blatter has the players needs at heart when he takes the lead by scrapping things like the Confederations Cup. Until that happens, I'm sceptical that this is anything more than Blatter wanting to assert FIFA-run competitions at the expense of donestic football.

[roarksown1]

It's true that the fixture congestion seems a little stifling nowadays. Everything's about the money, plain and simple. I like some of the suggestions from the first poster. I might also add that in many leagues, Cup matches are home and home and those could and should be changed to single elimination matches - home ground to those teams from lower divisions.

Too many matches also explains why teams aren't sending their best to tournaments like the Copa America or that top teams don't seem to be fairing as well in big tournaments since the top players usually only have a week or two of rest between any single match all year long.

Champions League should also be scaled back down to ONLY league champions, but I'm pretty sure this won't happen since there's way too much money involved in having three or four teams in the CL. I used to love the old Champions League when only 16 teams were in it. Every match was a classic.

[Trussy in Oz]

A very good idea, you could add that to reduce the number of games further the national competition for each confederation would also be part of the world cup qualifiers, like Euro 2004 the last eight would automatically qualify, hence reducing their overall number of games.
Then again as an earlier poster said its all about the money, if you reduce the number of internationals by say deleting the confederations cup or the world club championship then all that would happen is that it is replaced with another set of games.
Why is it that clubs are so unwilling to play in the Fifa world club championship when they hold a “world champions series” in the USA, prior to the European season kicking off, they should be reminded that to be a world series there should be teams from Africa, Asia and Oceania.

[Tony Dellbird]

Why doesn't blatter just keep his nose out, he hasn't got a clue, if it's not broken why fix it?

[Prenn]

I say drop the World Cup instead, it's of much less importance that club football.

[Dr. Wankler]

I say drop the World Cup instead, it's of much less importance that club football.

I always like it when Prenn logs on with the express purpose of earning the wrath of people in countries with crummy domestic football.

[Prenn]

I always like it when Prenn logs on with the express purpose of earning the wrath of people in countries with crummy domestic football.

It's fun but in the grand scheme of things 'League 2', MLS, Serie C, the Uzbekistan 3rd division are all more important than the world cup because that's football in the community. It's the very apex of the football pyramid. International football is nice but it's an occasional diversion, it's the candle on the chocolaty cake that is club football.

[M]

Why is it that clubs are so unwilling to play in the Fifa world club championship when they hold a “world champions series” in the USA, prior to the European season kicking off, they should be reminded that to be a world series there should be teams from Africa, Asia and Oceania.

It's "Champions World" and is nothing more than a bunch of pre-season friendlies dressed up with American marketing hype. Areyou saying that clubs shouldn't be allowed to play pre-season games?

[Crowdie]

And nonsense tournaments like the Confederation cup of course.

For the "smaller" football nations like us the Confederations Cup is extremely important:

1) It is one of the only times the "bigger" football nations will play us. Without the experience of these games how are we supposed to lift the standard of our football?

2) It is US$1,000,000 just to turn up and that money is extremely valuable to "smaller" football nations.

If the "bigger" nations agreed to play the "smaller" nations on a regular basis then I wouldn't have a problem with the Confederations Cup being dropped but until then it should remain.

[beachesl]

Can you provide a link to the story?

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-copablatter&prov=reuters&type=lgns

[Andy TAUS]

It's "Champions World" and is nothing more than a bunch of pre-season friendlies dressed up with American marketing hype. Areyou saying that clubs shouldn't be allowed to play pre-season games?YES, if SAF, ManU, Wenger, Arsenal, Liverpool, et al, are really serious in their voluble & noisy protestations as to "player burn-out".

It seems that (at least English) clubs & managers are only worried about "player burn-out" when it comes to their international obligations, never when it comes to using the players in a series of useless meaningless money-spinning pre-season "world series championship friendlies".

I'd listen to the clubs & managers if they showed some honesty & principle on this matter in their own back-yard, but they exhibit only full-bore cynicism & abject dishonesty. Make room in the international calendar and the clubs will fill it with more alternative games (eg G14 championships).

[Gordon EF]

YES, if SAF, ManU, Wenger, Arsenal, Liverpool, et al, are really serious in their voluble & noisy protestations as to "player burn-out".

It seems that (at least English) clubs & managers are only worried about "player burn-out" when it comes to their international obligations, never when it comes to using the players in a series of useless meaningless money-spinning pre-season "world series championship friendlies".

.

I'm not going to suggest that the Champions Series is anything but a money making tool for clubs who are attracted to an American audience but come on, clubs need to play pre-season friendlies. Players need to get match fit and used to playing with each other so they can hit the ground running when their League starts.

On the topic of this thread, I think it would be an idea to reduce the number of games that players play, but you can't force rules on FAs. Like only having one domestic cup or size of leagues.

The barrier for this is, of course money. Clubs want to play lots of games to make more money and players are the same. You can't really get around that.

As Prenn says too, club football is the bread and butter for players and fans, internationals are an exciting but rare treat, club football is what sustains people throughout the year and what keeps football going, it is more important.

[mfw13]

Gordon....couple of thoughts....

1) If the players are smart, they would be at the forefront of any movement to reduce fixtures. After all, it is their careers which are being shorted by the injuries that often result from having too many fixtures. Look at how many players are being forced to either retire early or at least retire from international football just to preserve their health.

2) Legally, can FIFA regulate club football? You say that they cannot regulate the FA's, but I don't know if this is legally true. Regardless, FIFA can certainly regulate the FA's through the use of incentives.

[Gary V]

2) Legally, can FIFA regulate club football? You say that they cannot regulate the FA's, but I don't know if this is legally true. Regardless, FIFA can certainly regulate the FA's through the use of incentives.
They can; the real question is should they regulate club football through the FA's? And if they decide to do so, what will be the consequences of not complying? Would FIFA really consider expelling England, for example, if the EPL has too many games?

Of course this is just a Bladder-release; it remains to be seen if it's worth anything more than p*$$.

[Chris M]

League and cup structures within a country should be solely the choice of the footballing community WITHIN that country. If a country wanted to have a league with 50 teams playing each other 6 times a season, then however stupid an idea that may be, it's the choice of that country and the wider footballing community has no right whatsoever to intervene.

[Crowdie]

League and cup structures within a country should be solely the choice of the footballing community WITHIN that country. If a country wanted to have a league with 50 teams playing each other 6 times a season, then however stupid an idea that may be, it's the choice of that country and the wider footballing community has no right whatsoever to intervene.

Agreed as long as those clubs release players for country duty when required rather than penalise players who represent their countries as some clubs are currently doing.

[sendorange]

The answer to why the players aren't pressing for a reducation of domestic matches is because the players get their money primarily from club football.

Reduced club matches = reduced club revenue = reduced player wages

Simple as that.

Likewise it's all too easy for people blaming the clubs over player releases, ultimately if international football means that much to a player then he when he goes to negotiate his first and subsequent contract he should include a clause saying that there should be no obstacles to any national callups he receives. Except of course no player will do that as they know either (1) a club will look elsewhere for a player with greater commitment and fewer games that they will miss. Or (2) the club will offer a contract with less money to reflect that the player is not going to be as involved as other players with fewer outside commitments.

It's no different than ordinary work. If you're going to take every friday of the week off for whatever reason, then you are less valuable to an employer than someone who will work the full 5 days, even if they are not quite as good.