Jamie Carragher has sharply criticized FIFA for potentially disrupting the Premier League’s fixture schedule, labeling the demands on players as “unreasonable” and forecasting a clash between players and the game’s governing bodies.
The former England and Liverpool defender’s remarks follow reports by The Independent indicating that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is likely to have its schedule set from late December 2025 to late January 2026. This decision aims to accommodate FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup.
These calendar adjustments not only threaten the traditional Christmas schedule of the Premier League but also necessitate a rule change from FIFA. This change would permit clubs to release players for more than one international finals tournament in a year, given that the 2026 World Cup is just months away.
Currently, FIFA regulations state that clubs are not obligated to release the same player for more than one “A” representative team final competition per year, except in special cases decided by the FIFA Executive Committee for the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Carragher took to Twitter to express his disapproval: “The amount of football we expect top players to play is beyond reasonable. Quality drops and, more importantly, injuries increase. FIFPRO will face further challenges dealing with UEFA and FIFA moving forward.”
Premier League officials have already voiced concerns over a congested calendar. Meanwhile, FIFPRO has been in ongoing disputes with FIFA regarding the packed football schedule, including legal actions initiated before Euro 2024.
According to reports, FIFPRO’s main concern centers around the expanded Club World Cup, slated to grow into a 32-team tournament scheduled for the USA in summer 2025. The event has drawn criticism since FIFA President Gianni Infantino began developing it more than five years ago.
The potential clash arising from the calendar shift may escalate between FIFA and UEFA, as the newly proposed dates could conflict with UEFA’s recently expanded Champions League. UEFA has already expressed opposition to the Club World Cup, fearing additional strain on their schedule and potential competition with the Champions League’s popularity.
Leave a Reply