President Javier Debas hailed “one of the most important days in football” after Europe's domestic leagues joined the Global Players Association to file a formal complaint against the club's imposition of FIFA's competition calendar.
The European leagues, Fibro and La Liga have been accused of “abusive and anti-competitive” behavior by expanding the schedule in a way they believe endangers players and domestic competitions, pointing to the FIFA 2026 World Cup and next summer's controversial new-look Club World Cup. The complaint was submitted to the European Commission on Monday morning, which must now decide whether to officially open proceedings against football's governing body.
“We have taken a very important step in changing the management of football organizations and we are not going to let it go,” Debas said. The Premier League and Belgium's top flight, as well as union leaders from France, Italy and Norway. “This is a decisive day for football in Europe and in the world. Write it down, because you're going to see it in the coming months.
The complaint alleges that FIFA's monopoly over calendar-related decisions constitutes an abuse of dominance in breach of European competition law. It accuses FIFA of refusing to meaningfully engage with players and leagues on the topic and abusing its regulatory powers in favoring its commercial interests.
Mathieu Moreuil, the Premier League's director of international relations, explained that a tipping point had been reached. “The message we have together is very similar: enough is enough, we can't take any more,” he said. “We are in a situation where we have no choice. Legal action is the only option, which is unfortunate. We want to protect indigenous football and the ecosystem. Agreement between the social partners and FIFA is needed: not just consultation, but real agreement.”
The complaint was not intended to challenge FIFA's position as a global regulatory body, nor was the complaint seen as an exercise in seeking compensation. Additionally, there is a small chance that this will lead to the cancellation of the next Club World Cup. The desired end game is for FIFA to agree to a meaningful consultative process regarding the format of the calendar at a time when domestic competitions are squeezed and at a premium. Players like Rhodri and Allison have warned of the toll that packed schedules can have on their bodies.
“We have the feeling that football is eating itself,” said Umberto Calcagno, president of the Italian Footballers' Association. “The players are well aware of this situation. They know how important it is not only to protect their health but also to qualify for the national championship.
The 32-team Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States from mid-June to mid-July, has angered many soccer stakeholders. In May, Fifpro and World Leagues wrote to FIFA asking for the format of the international calendar to be modified until an agreement is reached. No deal has been reached, and a match whose finer details are still to be ironed out, with clubs still unsure of the financial benefits involved, looks set to go ahead as planned.
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Moreul dismissed any suggestion of hypocrisy over the Premier League's place at the table in Brussels. England's top clubs are not shy about playing lucrative summer tournaments and friendlies. “Private club tours are a club issue,” he said. “That's their decision, not the league's.”
It is the latest seismic legal battle to engulf FIFA after the EU's Court of Justice earlier this month found key rules governing the transfer system to be “inconsistent with EU law”. The long-running case was brought by former Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth player Lasana Tiara. FIFA said on Monday it would open a “global dialogue” on the ruling, raising cautious hopes that they could shift to a more accommodating approach to the calendar as the stakes have been raised in the process.
FIFA has been approached for comment on the complaint filed with the European Commission.
