UEFA demanded Wednesday from Fifa a "
real consultation
" on its World Cup every two years, distilled for several months and contested by a large part of European football.
"
The future of the international calendar should be the subject of a real consultation and an exchange between Fifa, the confederations and the main stakeholders of the competitions,
" said the European body in a statement.
UEFA took note of the "
feasibility study
" initiated by Fifa in May on a doubling of the frequency of its premier competition "
from 2028
", while it has been held every four years since 1930 at for men and 1991 for women.
To discover
Qualifying rankings for the 2022 World Cup
The 2022 World Cup qualifying calendar
Basically, the boss of the instance Aleksander Ceferin has already categorically rejected such an idea, "
impossible
" in view of the already overloaded schedule, and which "would
dilute
" the "
jewel
" of world football, all the more precious as it is rare.
Fifa is considering doubling the frequency of continental competitions such as the Euro or the Copa America, which would take place in odd years alternating with the World Cup, a "
sensitive issue
" that UEFA does not intend to address "
speculative
".
But it is above all the method that the European body criticizes, since Fifa has been pushing its project in the press since March via its development director, the French Arsène Wenger, without having formally engaged in dialogue with the confederations, leagues, representatives of supporters and clubs.
An online summit on September 30
Among the topics that UEFA would like to see addressed are the impact "
on the physical and mental health
" of the players, on club competitions, on the ability of fans to travel or on women's competitions, which would lose visibility in the world. even when their audiences are taking off.
For its part, after relying on the opinion of former players who have become its ambassadors as "
Fifa Legends
", then on an online survey of football fans, Fifa announced an "
online summit
»On September 30 to consult its 211 member federations.