Colin Abgrall 8:06 p.m., October 12, 2021

As part of the La Poste arbitration days, Arsène Wenger, director of world football development within FIFA, returned to his reform of proposing a World Cup every two years.

The former Arsenal technician hammers his ideas but says he is open to proposals.

Arsène Wenger is not ready to be done with football. The role of the 71-year-old Alsatian within FIFA confirms this: between the emergence of new rules, the training of players and coaches, the former Arsenal manager has been working for six months on a reorganization of the world calendar with as the objective of organizing a major international competition every year. On Tuesday, during the La Poste arbitration days, he reaffirmed this controversial position.

When this proposal was made last September, the debate immediately ignited.

A World Cup every two years seems, in the eyes of many fans and personalities of the football world, impossible.

But besides that, Arsène Wenger also proposes to change the international calendar, especially for the benefit of the clubs: "That a club pays players at the price at which they pay them today and that they cannot even use them, I find that illogical. It is not sustainable in the long run. "

Reduce the number of matches

To remedy this, Arsène Wenger proposes to group together the international matches over a single period.

"The World Cup is seven matches. Today, we play ten qualifying matches. If you go to the final, then you play 17 matches. What I'm proposing are six qualifying matches, possibly with play-offs, so seven matches, in addition to the seven World Cup matches. "

The Wenger formula would therefore reduce the total number of matches to 14.

In the eyes of the former Arsenal manager, it is about "keeping it simple and clear (to) know which competition is being played."

The Alsatian claims to have spoken to over 166 countries and that "80-90% of people like my idea".

"Criticize and tell me why"

For the transition to a World Cup every two years, Arsène Wenger claims to know more reluctance. "I understand because there is an emotional part to it. We all grew up with a World Cup every four years. The cycle seems natural to us", he admits, before continuing: "But I am open to all suggestions and all criticism. I don't make it personal. I just ask: criticize the project, give a better one and don't try to discredit myself for proposing a project. they criticize and tell me why. "

Would a World Cup every two years give less prestige to the competition, by spacing it less in time?

"At that point, let's do the World Cup every eight years," he quipped.

"I think the prestige is linked to the quality of the competition. Today, you have access to the best in the world when you turn on your TV. So offer them what is happening. best in the world. "

Players to protect, clubs to relieve

One of the arguments advocated by Arsène Wenger relates to the protection of players: "Over four years, a player who plays in South America flies 330,000 km just to go and play matches. With my system, he makes 130,000. . And thanks to the studies of doctors, we know that what tires the player the most are repeated trips, climatic shocks and time zone changes lasting more than three hours. This does more damage to organisms than matches. "

An advantage for the clubs as well, according to the former strongman of the Gunners: "In the calendar that I propose, it is advantageous for the clubs. They will keep their player all year round."

There is no doubt that the one who coached the London club Arsenal between 1996 and 2018 would have liked this reform to have seen the light of day earlier.

In any case, for the reform of qualifications, Arsène Wenger will have to wait.

The current schedule is already set until 2024.

An automated offside in 2022?

During this intervention, Arsène Wenger explained that a semi-automated offside detection could be implemented at the 2022 World Cup. "I am bound to secrecy, but it will be the next of the big evolutions of refereeing", he also declared.

Arsène #Wenger suggests an automated “offside” from 2022 during the World Cup.

The sponsor of the refereeing days announced to the microphone of @ Europe1: “Right now, the linesman will be informed.

The system is working.

But I am bound to secrecy ”pic.twitter.com/tyrivW3gbI

- C. de La Morinerie (@Morinerie) October 12, 2021