In the near future, world football may undergo reforms that will radically change both the competition calendar and the situation in this sport in general.

In the next few days, a forum will be held in Qatar with the participation of former coaches and players, the main topic of which will be the possible holding of the World Cup every two years.

These innovations have been actively discussed since March 2021, when the corresponding proposal was put forward by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, and it was supported by the majority of FIFA members.

In a vote, 166 of the 211 associations agreed to explore the initiative.

And, apparently, the International Football Federation is seriously interested in the issue. The current World Cup reform project is overseen by former head coach of London Arsenal and now FIFA Development Director Arsene Wenger. According to preliminary plans, the innovation is planned not only to be presented by the end of 2021, but also to hold an official vote on it. And if the proposal is supported, then already from 2028 the world championships will be held twice as often as now.

“Let's not forget that 166 associations, or 88% of the voters - the majority on each continent - were in favor of considering the possibility of implementing (this reform. -

RT

). This is what we do: we study the calendar, we hold consultations with everyone, first of all, with the main characters, the main subjects of the world of football - players, coaches. In men's football, this process is carried out under the leadership of Arsene Wenger, in women's football - by Jill Ellis, ”quotes FIFA President Gianni Infantino to Sky Sports.

Several factors are cited as reasons for the proposed reform. One of them is the current calendar of matches of the national teams, which is inconvenient for both footballers and coaches. For example, only in the fall of 2021, players will have to leave their clubs three times and go to national teams to participate in the qualification of the 2022 World Cup, some of which will be forced to fly to other continents. Wenger proposes to abandon this and hold all qualifying meetings in two time periods - in March and October.

“The current state of affairs in the calendar of international matches shows that in a certain sense we have exhausted ourselves.

(Situation p. -

RT

) the period for which the national football teams are currently ready to release their players, aggravated by the coronavirus, shows how difficult it is for footballers to travel from country to country, from continent to continent.

They start the season in Europe, then go and play for the national team of their country, return to the club, play several matches there - and again to the national team, to another continent, in a different time zone, ”added Infantino.

“It is bad for the health of the players and bad for the competition.

Too many pointless matches are being played.

We need to see what else can be done.

We must have a simple and clear system that everyone understands, ”said the FIFA President.

The draft of a possible calendar has not yet been presented, so it is difficult to draw any conclusions regarding it.

However, some of Wenger's proposals raise serious questions.

For example, this applies to slots for qualifying meetings.

In March and October, not only national championships, but also European cups are in full swing in Europe, therefore, finding a place in the schedule will be problematic.

For example, consider the Russian national team.

In the current qualifying cycle, Valery Karpin's wards were in a group of six teams, which means they have to play ten matches.

Given the reform, they will have to hold five meetings in March and the same in October.

Even if we imagine that the team will be able to play in the format in two days on the third, then the timing of one of the stages of the qualifying tournament runs the risk of stretching for at least 18-21 days, taking into account the arrival to the national team and return to the club. However, this option seems unlikely, as it will put too much stress on the athletes. At the same time, the expansion of the slot will lead to the fact that in other months, players will have to play much more. As a result, there is again a risk to health.

In addition, if such a reform is adopted, the fate of continental competitions - the European Championship, America's Cup and others - is not clear. Taking into account the proposed transformations, it would hardly be advisable to hold the Euro in the old format - every four years, because the intersections with the World Cup will become inevitable. And in this case, UEFA, most likely, will also have to change the calendar and organize competitions every two years, as a result of which there will be an additional burden on the players.

Apparently, a number of representatives of the football community are also worried about the prospects for such innovations. Representatives of the World Leagues Forum, an organization representing the interests of national associations, were among the first to oppose them. The WLF noted that holding the World Cup every two years will negatively affect both the prestige of the tournament itself and the condition of the athletes.

“The World Leagues Forum will oppose any proposals to host the FIFA World Cup every two years and to blur the historical and traditional values ​​of the competition that means so much to fans and players. The World Championship is a symbolic and unique sporting event. FIFA's management cannot turn something special into an ordinary event solely for the satisfaction of its short-term interests. The biennial World Cup will negatively affect the football economy and undermine the well-being of players in an already overwhelmed calendar, ”the WLF said in a statement.

The President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Alexander Čeferin also reacted with distrust to the new FIFA initiative.

According to him, the beauty of the World Cup is that it is a rare and long-awaited event, and the proposed reforms will negatively affect the excitement around the championship.

He also thought about the players who will have to spend most of the summer in national teams, and then go to clubs, practically losing their rest.

Manchester City executive director Ferran Soriano spoke negatively about possible innovations, and the former head coach of the French national team Raymond Domenech called this idea stupid at all.

In turn, the mentor of the England national team Gareth Southgate was more restrained in his assessments, but said that the schedule of games will need to be revised dramatically.

Honorary President of the Russian Football Union (RFU) Vyacheslav Koloskov did not appreciate FIFA's undertakings.

According to him, now there is neither need nor opportunity for such changes.

“I am extremely negative about this for several reasons.

First, the international calendar is already overloaded.

You can see how difficult it is to qualify for the World Cup.

Look what is happening with Zenit players in South America.

They are withdrawn ahead of time, FIFA imposes sanctions on them.

In the same England, you need to go through quarantine.

And all this is connected not only with the pandemic, but also with the confusion that is happening in FIFA.

At one time, it was determined that qualifying matches should be held in the same time slots on all continents.

The principle was violated, so a conflict situation immediately arose, "Koloskov said in an interview with RT.

The former functionary also noted that if the changes are adopted, the entire schedule of tournaments, including international ones, will have to be seriously revised.

“In addition, the European Championship is held every four years.

And now it turns out that in one year it will be necessary to hold two tournaments at once.

And when to play selection for them?

I don't take into account the confusion with the sponsors.

But the most important thing is the overload of the international calendar.

The players are already breaking down.

Look at the Russian national team.

The coach says the players are physically exhausted.

And this despite the fact that the European competition has not begun.

Therefore, I am categorically against holding the World Cup every two years, "Koloskov emphasized.

The Honorary President of the RFU agreed with Cheferin and noted that FIFA's intention to organize the championship of the planet every two years could negatively affect the excitement around him.

“It is possible that the prestige of the FIFA World Cup will decline.

The number of its participants has already expanded to 48 teams.

Imagine how long the tournament will take place in terms of time, what level of competition there will be.

And who will need these matches in the end?

Perhaps the interest in such a championship will be high at first, but will quickly fall - not only among fans, but also among commercial structures and television, ”Koloskov said.

In this regard, the question arises, what exactly is the motivation of FIFA, because even on paper, the initiative carries too many problems.

According to Koloskov, in this way the International Football Federation hopes to make big profits.

“Of course, this has nothing to do with the development of football, because it will damage continental competitions - the championships of Europe, Africa, South America, Asia. Therefore, yes, money (the main motivation of FIFA. -

RT

). But you have to understand that this is not the main thing in football, ”concluded Koloskov.