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The Sun
29-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Next Club World Cup ‘could be held in WINTER' as new nation mulling bid to host tournament
A players union are set to address welfare concerns in a press conference on Monday BOLD BID Next Club World Cup 'could be held in WINTER' as new nation mulling bid to host tournament IF the next Club World Cup is held during winter it would play havoc with the Premier League schedule. Qatar have expressed an interest in hosting Fifa's expanded tournament after its inaugural showing in the United States this summer. 3 Qatar has expressed interest in bidding to host the 2029 Club World Cup 3 The Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup final But due to extreme temperatures during Qatari summers, the nation would have to host the Club World Cup in December, like they did with the 2022 World Cup. Qatari representatives held talks with Fifa's highest ranking officials in the US about a possible swap last week, according to The Guardian. The Middle East nation has shown a desire to stage the next edition in four years' time in December 2029. But this would be fiercely opposed by European leagues, including the Premier League, because of the disruption it would cause to domestic seasons. WATCH EVERY MATCH OF THE CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 LIVE ON DAZN Qatar's summer bid for the 2022 World Cup was moved to winter due to the extreme climate, forcing every domestic league to pause for more than a month. But those in the Middle East have put forward a strong sales pitch to Fifa, claiming they could host a carbon-neutral Club World Cup. The current tournament has involved teams flying all over the US with venues in 11 different cities. The nine stadiums Qatar built to host the World Cup remain in place, and could be used meaning they could minimise staging costs and travel for fans. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Players have complained about the weather conditions at the Club World Cup, with Chelsea's last-16 win over Benfica suspended for TWO HOURS due to "the risk of lightning in the vicinity of Bank of America Stadium". It was the sixth game of the tournament that has been suspended due to seasonal summer thunderstorms, with players launching huge complaints. Chelsea vs Benfica SUSPENDED with just five minutes left as referee takes players off due to severe lightning storm 3 Chelsea's 4-1 win over Benfica nearly went on for five hours on Saturday Stars from several clubs have complained about the conditions and the global players' union FifPro is due to address their welfare concerns in a press conference on Monday. Experts also warned players to prepare for frequent weather-related delays at the 2026 World Cup hosted in the US, Mexico and Canada next year. And while the date has yet to be confirmed there is widespread expectation that the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia will be shifted to the winter.
Straits Times
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Club World Cup ‘destroys' club football competitions: La Liga president Javier Tebas
SINGAPORE – La Liga president Javier Tebas has kept up his criticism of the current Club World Cup, days after calling for the elimination of the expanded tournament which he claimed is 'breaking the ecosystem' of club football. Instead, he is not averse to the Fifa competition returning to its previous format as an annual competition featuring just the winners of the six continental confederations and the host nation's league champions. The current Club World Cup in the United States is a quadrennial event that was enlarged to feature 32 teams and played over a month-long period after the end of the season. Tebas told The Straits Times on June 23 that if the Club World Cup remain, he would 'be happier if we can go back to the old model'. The 62-year-old Spaniard, who is in town for the La Liga Extratime conference, said via a translator: 'I strongly believe the Club World Cup destroys all established models of club competitions. 'It mainly affects the national leagues but it obviously affects the Champions League as well because it affects the calendar and the players.' At a La Liga event in Madrid last week, when asked how Fifa could do a better job of structuring future Club World Cup, Tebas had said: 'By eliminating it. My objective is that there will be no more Club World Cups, I'm very clear about that.' On June 23, he noted that how the new format led to a congested calendar and can impact the physical and mental well-being of players. 'There are 60,000 professional players in Europe, and these competitions are breaking the ecosystem for the rest of football. All the players involved in these extra matches will also be very tired at the end.' As a fan of Real Madrid, he admitted it would be good for the club if they win the competition, but as La Liga president, his obligation is to look after all the clubs and their players. In 2024, La Liga, together the European Leagues and Fifpro Europe, filed a joint complaint about Fifa's international match schedule to European Union antitrust regulators. European Leagues is an association that includes the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1 while Fifpro is the global players' union. Tebas, who said the legal action is ongoing, said the scheduling of the Club World Cup 'affects our broadcast rights because they force us to change the dates, and this produces a break of the audiovisual ecosystem.' 'There is no room for it. There is no need for another competition that moves money towards the same clubs and players.' Tebas also took issue with how the Club World Cup can cause competitive imbalance and financial instability, with the winners set to take home up to US$125 million (S$162 million) while slamming Fifa for 'listening, but then doing whatever they want'. 'This is not about consultation and being informed, because national leagues form the structure of football and there needs to be consensus for any decision that affects the players involved.' At the conference at The Executive Centre at One Raffles Quay, Tebas also warned about the destructive impact of audiovisual piracy, estimating that La Liga clubs suffer losses up to €700 million (S$1.04 billion) per season because of illegal streams. He agreed with the assessment of Serie A chief executive officer Luigi de Siervo, who recently attributed Italy's failure to qualify for the last two World Cups to online piracy. The Italian had said: 'All the money that is lost every year is not invested in the youth teams and in the growth of our young players, a major issue that has led our national team to face many difficulties.' Tebas said: 'The situation is different in different countries, but this is possible and we have to do what we can to stamp out online piracy.' He also threw his weight behind Singaporean tycoon and Valencia owner Peter Lim, who has faced a steady stream of abuse from the club's fans. He said: 'Peter Lim saved the team from bankruptcy. We have to remember the investments and capital he committed on several occasions, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, so I consider his impact and overall management to be very positive. 'I believe some fans think only about the results, and it's not fair. They are very focused on the short term and these are probably only a sector of supporters and not all Valencia fans. 'I am concerned because I don't know what is the real intention behind such abuse but I don't think it will discourage foreign investors from La Liga.' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
News18
12-06-2025
- Sport
- News18
FIFPro Releases Report Slamming FIFA Over Congested Schedule; Demands Changes For Player Well-Being
Last Updated: FIFPro's report called for match limits, mid-season breaks, and mandatory summer holidays to protect footballers from excessive workload and calendar congestion. Enough is enough. Footballers, just like other athletes, deserve rest too. Professional football must introduce match limits, mid-season breaks, and compulsory summer holidays to protect players, a report commissioned by FIFPro stated on Thursday. FIFPro is the global players' union while European Leagues brings together more than one thousand clubs from 33 countries around Europe. Its member leagues include the English Premier League, as well as the leagues in Italy, Germany and France, but not La Liga, which joined the complaint separately. Citing recent European court rulings related to the breakaway Super League and the Lassana Diarra case, the FIFPro ealier last year had said FIFA's rules and conduct 'harm the economic interests of national leagues, and the health and safety of players in European football". 'A legal challenge before the European Commission has become a necessary course of action to safeguard the European football sector," they added. FIFA has been accused of a failure to consult over recent changes to the calendar, such as the introduction of a 32-team Club World Cup, which has drawn much criticism regarding player well-being. To substantiate their earlier grievances, FIFPro now announced that a study on 'calendar congestion and excessive workload" by 70 specialists working in professional men's football for clubs and national teams recommended safety standards, which, according to the report, international football currently lacks. The report made 12 recommendations and highlighted several in a press release. These included mandatory four-week off-season breaks, with two of those weeks being commitment-free, and compulsory mid-season breaks. It also advocated for a minimum four-week retraining period after off-season breaks before players return to competition. On top of it all, in order to manage travel fatigue, the report mentioned that governing bodies should ensure rest periods after long-haul flights. It was also noted that specific workload safeguards should be introduced for players under 21, while urging 'seasonal match limits and fixture congestion controls" across all levels of football. FIFPro has led criticism of the lucrative 32-team tournament, which has been crammed into an already overloaded schedule. The FIFA Club World Cup is set to take place from June 14. First Published: June 12, 2025, 18:32 IST
Arab News
04-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi footballer Abdulmalik Al-Jaber shines on European stage
BEIRUT: Midfielder Abdulmalik Al-Jaber has been a guiding light among Saudi players making their mark in Europe following his impressive spell at Bosnia's FK Zeljeznicar. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Al-Nassr announced on Monday the capture of 21-year-old Al-Jaber on a four-year contract after his strong season with FK Zeljeznicar where played 33 times, scored three goals and assisted in three more. Al-Jaber's performances put him at the top of a list of nine Saudi players who played across seven different European leagues last season. AlNassr can announce the signing of the Saudi young star Abdulmalik AlJaber, as he signed a 4 years contract Welcome Abdulmalik #AbdulmalikIsYellow — AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) June 2, 2025 Faisal Al-Ghamdi, 23, played 29 times for Belgian club Beerschot where he was a key player in midfield, scoring one goal and assisting in the creation of another. Clubmate and forward Marwan Al-Sahafi also impressed, the 21-year-old scoring six times and making one assist across 28 games. Mohanad Al-Saad, 21, played for Dunkerque in France and scored four goals in 15 matches — one of them against Paris Saint-Germain in the French Cup semifinal, a proud moment despite the 4-2 defeat. Saud Abdulhamid, 25, got some valuable minutes with AS Roma in Italy where he played eight matches, scoring once and making one assist. Four of his appearances were in Serie A, the top tier. Midfielder Mohammed Al-Rashidi, 23, boasted eight appearances for Greece's Panserraikos and a total of 184 minutes on the pitch. Three other young players had a taste of European football. Hussain Al-Taha, 19, played three matches for Croatian side Vukovar, while Mishal Haddad, 20, appeared in two games for Vinkovci, also in Croatia. Yazan Madani, 20, played twice as left-back for Albania's Egnatia. With more Saudi players heading to Europe, it is clear that the future looks bright for talented footballers from the KIngdom. These youngsters are gaining experience, growing in confidence, and helping to raise the profile of Saudi football on the international stage.
BBC News
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
World Football Eurostars pick their Euro stars
The UEFA Champions League final may be done meaning the dust settles on the top European leagues for a while at least. Delyth Lloyd is joined by World Football's Mani Djazmi, German football writer Constantin Eckner and Spanish football expert Eduardo Alvarez to look back over all the big talking points from across Europe. From Serie A through to the Bundesliga, La Liga and Ligue 1, our panel give their views on a momentous season. Photo: Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona celebrates the La Liga EA Sports 2024/2025 championship during the La Liga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and Villarreal CF at Olimpic Llus Companys in Barcelona, Spain, on May 18, 2025. (Credit: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
