He the league President Javier Tebas hailed “one of the most important days in football” after Europe's national leagues joined forces with the global players' union to lodge a formal complaint against FIFA's imposition of this year's match schedule. sport.
European leagues, Fifpro and La Liga accused FIFA of “abusive and anti-competitive” conduct by expanding the calendar in a way they believe endangers players and national competitions, pointing to the expanded 2026 World Cup and the controversial Club World Cup taking place next summer. The complaint was submitted on Monday morning to the European Commission, which must now decide whether to officially open proceedings against football's governing body.
“We have taken a very important step to change the governance of football institutions and we are not going to let it slip away,” said Tebas, who spoke alongside representatives of the first division and the highest category of Belgium, as well as union leaders from France, Italy and Norway. “It is a decisive day for football in Europe and the world. Write it down, because you will see it in the coming months.”
The complaint says FIFA's monopoly on calendar decisions is an abuse of dominance, violating European competition law. It alleges that FIFA has refused to meaningfully engage with players and leagues on the issue and has abused its regulatory power by prioritizing its commercial interests.
Mathieu Moreuil, director of international relations for the Premier League, explained that a turning point had been reached. “The message we have together is very similar: enough is enough, we can't take it anymore,” he said. “We are in a situation where we have no other option. Legal action is the only option and that is unfortunate. We want to protect national football and the ecosystem. “We want an agreement between the social partners and FIFA: not just consultations, but a real agreement.”
There is no intention to question FIFA's position as a global regulator nor is the complaint seen as an exercise in seeking compensation. Furthermore, there is little chance that this will lead to the cancellation of the next Club World Cup. The desired outcome is for FIFA to agree to a meaningful consultation procedure on the calendar format at a time when domestic competitions are being squeezed and high profile. players like Rodri and Alisson has warned of the impact that busy schedules have on their bodies.
“We have the feeling that football is devouring itself,” said Umberto Calcagno, president of the Italian Footballers' Association. “The players know this situation very well. “They know how important it is to protect not only their health but also the merit of their national championship.”
The 32-team Club World Cup, which will take place in the United States between mid-June and mid-July, has exasperated many of those interested in soccer. In May, Fifpro and the World Leagues wrote to FIFA requesting that it be rescheduled until an agreement could be reached on the shape of the international calendar. No agreement was reached and it appears that a tournament whose finer details are still to be worked out, with clubs still unsure of the financial benefits involved, will go ahead as planned.
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Moreuil rejected any suggestion of hypocrisy over the Premier League's place at the Brussels table. England's top clubs rarely shy away from spending airline miles for lucrative summer tournaments and friendlies, even though they risk taking a toll on players. “Individual club tours are a club thing,” he said. “That's their decision, not a league decision.”
It is the latest potentially seismic legal dispute to hit FIFA after the EU Court of Justice ruled earlier this month that key rules governing the transfer system were “contrary to EU law”, after of one long lasting case brought in by former Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth player Lassana Diarra. On Monday, FIFA said it would open a “global dialogue” over the ruling, raising cautious hopes in the process that they could shift to a more conciliatory approach to the calendar now that the risks have increased.
FIFA has been contacted for comment on the complaint filed with the European Commission.
