FOOTBALL’S top leagues and player unions will today join forces to tell Fifa: “We will not play in your Club World Cup — you’re killing the game.”
The boycott threat is being spearheaded by Premier League chief Richard Masters, PFA boss Maheta Molango and LaLiga supremo Javier Tebas.
They will vow legal action unless the revamped 32-team tournament, due to feature holders Manchester City and Chelsea in the USA next summer, is rescheduled.
Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich and Jude Bellingham’s Real Madrid are also set to play in the four-week tournament, which boasts a £600million-plus prize fund.
Fifa chiefs have brushed off previous fears over player welfare.
But Molango told SunSport: “Football is killing its own product.
“Those who run the game need to listen.
“If they don’t, then as unions we have a responsibility to the players to take action — and the legal route is the next step.
“The governing bodies have had every chance to meaningfully engage with us on this, but they have failed to do so.
“Current player workloads are unsustainable.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
“People are realising the amount of games being pushed into the fixture calendar just don’t fit.”
International players’ union FifPro and the PFA believe the scheduling will leave clubs with no option but to force stars back into action without the minimum three-week break written into ALL pro deals.
Lawyers have now been asked to prepare legal documents for Fifa unless there is a U-turn.
Masters is head of the World League Association, which represents every major league in football.
He will sit with Tebas and Molango at today’s FifPro and PFA Player Workload Conference in London.
And Molango added: “This a problem for the whole of football.”
TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest transfer deals from around the world this summer
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
