FIFA casts aside European club demands for 2005 World club tournament
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Friday that a World Club Championship will be held in 2005 despite recent statements by European clubs rejecting any more fixtures during the summer.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Friday that a World Club Championship will be held in 2005 despite recent statements by European clubs rejecting any more fixtures during the summer.
FIFA's executive committee adopted an international calendar for 2005 to 2008, which schedules both a Confederations Cup between nations as well as the new World Club Championship in 2005.
"It is binding," Blatter commented.
European clubs recently warned that they were ready to stop players from taking part in the Confederations Cup in France next June, unless FIFA dropped plans for a summer tournament between top clubs from each continent.
Executives from top European clubs, including Arsenal, Manchester United and AC Milan, argued that the national and international fixture list is already too congested and that their players are suffering. They also insist that the issue has dragged on for too long.
"I'm persuaded that the clubs will give the players if they are asked to do so by their national associations," Blatter told journalists after the executive committee meeting.
The new international calendar has just been sent to national associations, FIFA said.
Some of the over 100 club representatives who met at the European Club Forum at the headquarters of European football's governing body, UEFA, last month said they expected national associations to press their side of the case.
Blatter claimed that British clubs were at the forefront of protests on the issue, but indicated that he felt they had the capacity to play on through the summer break.
"I have seen three big clubs are going to Asia, Manchester United are going to California," he said.
"Clubs from the other continents also have the right to meet those from countries in South America or Europe," Blatter said.
FIFA officials said that steps had been taken to try to cut down awkward international friendly fixtures, notably in April.
The Latin American confederation (CONMEBOL) also accepted that its national teams could only call up players from European clubs for national team friendlies from the end of this year if the match was taking place in Europe, according to FIFA deputy-secretary general Jerome Champagne.
FIFA's executive committeee ruled on Thursday that clubs would only need to release players for national team duty five days before this year's Confederations Cup begins in France on June 18, instead of the statutory 14 days.