FIFA on the receiving end of legal complaint by other leagues citing blatant abuse of power in lieu of a congested fixture calendar.
FIFA has been slapped with a legal complaint by the top European leagues and players’ union Fifpro.
European Commission has received a complaint about what they refer to as a “abuse of dominance” by the organisation that oversees world football.
The European Leagues, along with the European branch of Fifpro, assert that Fifa has violated European competition law in relation to the international fixture schedule. The European Leagues represent 1,130 teams in 33 nations and 39 leagues, including the Premier League.
Although it is not a part of the European Leagues, the Spanish La Liga is participating.
Director of policy at Fifpro, Alexander Bielefeld, described the situation as “unprecedented”. He stated that the various parties “had submitted a legal complaint to the European Commission”.
This is the most recent court action brought on the long-running dispute concerning the amount of game in a season.
The “overloaded and unworkable” football schedule was subject of a June lawsuit made by PFA against FIFA.
Fifpro has also claimed, external “Fifa’s decisions over the last years have repeatedly favoured its own competitions. And along with commercial interests, neglected its responsibilities as a governing body. This has harmed the economic interests of national leagues and the welfare of players”.
Spain midfielder Rodri recently stated that players are on the verge of going on strike due to increase in games.
The 28-year-old won the Premier League and the European Championship last season. All while making 63 appearances for both club and country.
Rodri played in 72 matchday squads for club and country. This includes pre-season friendlies, between July 2023 and July 2024. This means accumulating 6,107 minutes on the pitch, according to a recent Fifpro report on player workload.
Fifpro anticipates that the European Commission will initiate an initial inquiry. During which it will confer with Fifa, Fifpro, and the European Leagues.
There is no set time limit, but it is anticipated that a decision on whether to launch a formal investigation will be made once the preliminary inquiry, which may take up to a year, is completed.