By Vincent Obi
Switzerland – The professional footballers’ unions of England (PFA) and France (UNFP) took FIFA to court in Brussels on Thursday to challenge the timetable “unilaterally set” by the world body, in particular its new Club World Cup in 2025.
Players’ unions have complained that the expanded Club World Cup, due to take place in the United States in June and July next year, is an unacceptable additional burden on players.
The organisations “believe that these decisions violate the rights of players and their unions under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights while also potentially violating EU competition law”, the global professional footballers union (FIFPRO) said in a statement.
With the support of FIFPRO, UNFP and PFA have asked the Brussels Commercial Court to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union by putting forward “four questions for a preliminary ruling”.
“Players and their unions have consistently highlighted the current football calendar as overloaded and unworkable”, the unions said in their statement.
In May, FIFPRO and the World Association of Football Leagues threatened FIFA with legal action.
The players’ representatives accuse FIFA of having “continued a programme of competition expansion despite the opposition of player unions”, in particular by expanding the Club World Cup from seven to 32 teams.
