Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries feeling the heat at the Club World Cup in America The Club World Cup is devaluing football because players cannot perform properly, according to Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Maheta Molango. High temperatureshave impacted players, while low crowds have also been a factor in Fifa's extended competition in America. Ten Juventus playersasked to be substitutedduring their 1-0 defeat by Real Madrid, with the last-16 game in Miami on Tuesday played in temperatures reaching 30C and humidity of 70%. Borussia Dortmund's substitutes also spent the first half of their game against Mamelodi Sundowns last month watching from the dressing room because of the heat. Six matches have had to be suspended because of thunderstorms, including a two-hour delay inChelsea's last-16 win over Benfica. It means, less than a year before the start of the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, Molango is worried by how the competition is impacting the players and the sport. "We're devaluing the product and it's a shame because if I'm a US fan and that's my first exposure to soccer, that's not good," he said. "We need to be mindful we're competing with other sports and they're very good at entertainment. Then it becomes a very poor comparison. "We've reached a stage where the quality is dropping, because there's no way you can have a good game if you play at 4pm in Mexico. "It's impossible, because the players themselves say to you 'I cannot. I need to manage my efforts" - which would mean what you see on the pitch is not good, the audiences drop, it's as simple as that. This is all about money. "My hope is that people now, even from a pure business perspective, will see that it does not make sense." Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp called the competition"the worst idea ever implemented in football", and days before the tournament, global players' union Fifpro released a report saying players should be allowed at least afour-week off-season break. "It's this feeling of accumulation of competitions that just do not talk to each other and create a calendar that is just nonsensical," added Molango. "Let's see what happens in October, November [to players] - that's when you're going to start seeing because you pay the price. This Club World Cup gives us a chance to start looking at the bigger picture." Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola understood Klopp's position, but feltcompeting in the Club World Cupwas the price of success. "Would I love to have two months to prepare for next season? Yes. Would I love to be refreshed for next season? Yes. But it is what it is," he said, beforeCity were knocked out by Al Hilalon Tuesday. Fifa has also defended itself with senior sources from the governing body telling BBC Sport last month the protection of player welfare has been at the core of decision-making, pointing to initiatives such as additional substitutes and permanent concussion subs. Suggestions the competition has contributed to further congestion in the fixture calendar were firmly dismissed, with a source saying it was "not caused by the Club World Cup". It was pointed out a maximum of seven Club World Cup games will be played by two teams every four years, with the slot for the competition replacing the one previously used for the Fifa Confederations Cup. The extended competition was a main trigger for ajoint legal action last year by the PFA, along with the French and Italian players' unions, against Fifa over the "overloaded and unworkable" football calendar. A hearing on that is likely to be held early next year. It came before the top European leagues and players' union Fifpro filed a legal complaint against Fifa with the European Commission over what it claims is an "abuse of dominance" by world football's governing body. "This is much more of a political one. It's fair to say we are pretty confident the Commission will show an interest in probably taking the case, which is unusual," Molango added. "Quite a few kind of sports cases are brought in front of the Commission and normally they don't get involved in those type of cases. In this instance, based on what we've seen so far, we're pretty confident."
Club World Cup 'devaluing' football - PFA chief
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"PFA Chief Raises Concerns Over Club World Cup's Impact on Player Welfare and Football Quality"
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TruthLens AI Summary
Maheta Molango, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), has expressed serious concerns regarding the impact of the Club World Cup on the quality of football. He argues that the extreme heat conditions in the United States, where the tournament is currently being held, are adversely affecting player performance. High temperatures, reaching around 30 degrees Celsius with 70% humidity, have led to players like those from Juventus requesting substitutions during matches, indicating the physical toll the conditions are taking. This situation has raised questions about the scheduling of games, particularly at times when the heat is most intense. Molango worries that such conditions not only compromise the quality of the matches but also negatively influence the perception of soccer among new fans, particularly in the U.S., where football is competing against other well-established sports for viewership and engagement. He emphasizes that the current setup is undermining football's value as a sport, stating, "We're devaluing the product and it's a shame because if I'm a US fan and that's my first exposure to soccer, that's not good.", highlighting the need for a more thoughtful approach to scheduling and player welfare.
Additionally, the PFA has raised alarm over the congested football calendar, which they argue has become increasingly unmanageable. The introduction of the extended Club World Cup format has been cited as a contributing factor to this congestion, prompting legal action from the PFA and other players' unions against FIFA. This legal challenge seeks to address what they describe as an "overloaded and unworkable" football calendar. Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has also criticized the tournament, calling it "the worst idea ever implemented in football." While FIFA has defended its approach by emphasizing player welfare initiatives, many within the sport share concerns about the sustainability of the current schedule. As the football world prepares for the upcoming World Cup in North America, Molango urges stakeholders to reconsider the implications of their decisions on player health, the quality of the game, and the sport's future growth in new markets.
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