UEFA believes Fifa’s plans for a biennial World Cup create four significant “dangers” for the future of football, as they have raised the stakes in its dispute with football’s world governing body.

While the idea of ​​hosting what even UEFA calls “the world’s No.1 football event” every two years was only mentioned publicly for the first time in May, the speed of plans to Fifa could see a new calendar ratified as early as next year. UEFA, having previously mentioned a boycott, has now expressed its objections and called for a new engagement of Fifa.

UEFA said it had been “disappointed” with Fifa’s approach to the plans, which “has so far led to the communication and open promotion of sweeping reform plans before d ‘have had the opportunity, together with other stakeholders, to participate in any consultation meeting “.

The European governing body said it wrote to Fifa on September 14, calling for a consultation, but had not received a response. This contradicts a claim by Fifa that all football stakeholders, including confederations, were approached for talks earlier this month.

In addition to asking Fifa to consider nine different criteria before deciding on the feasibility of a biennial World Cup, UEFA clarified what it sees as the main risks.

The four issues, described as “real dangers”, first included a potential loss of prestige due to the proliferation of World Cups, with the competition’s current schedule giving it “a mystique that generations of fans have grown up with.” .

UEFA also maintains that despite FIFA’s promises of fewer matches for players, the remaining matches will be more demanding, forcing players to “engage in high intensity summer competition every year instead of breaks. longer paybacks every two years “.

UEFA also rejects the argument, led by Fifa’s head of global development Arsene Wenger, that the new schedule would improve the competitive chances of smaller nations, saying instead that many will be stymied by a lack of ” regular matches “if they fail to qualify for tournaments. Finally, UEFA cites a risk for the development of women’s football, with tournaments “deprived of exclusive slots and eclipsed by the proximity of major men’s meetings”.

That plans for a biennial World Cup do not take into consideration the needs of women’s football was confirmed to the media last week, another bone of contention for UEFA whose public letter on Wednesday was titled: “Appropriate consultation , rather than necessary media announcements “.

Fifa’s decision to brief the media and release a phalanx of player “legends” to support the proposals is a complaint shared by the Premier League, with each of the 20 clubs in the competition voicing their opposition to the reforms in a shareholders’ meeting in London. Wednesday. ~

At the Premier League meeting, the clubs also discussed the dates on which the league will be suspended next year to host the Qatar World Cup, with the game set to end after the weekend of November 12, 2022 and resume. the day after Christmas.

They have plans in place to step up Covid checks, including the possibility of requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test result from every spectator, if the pandemic situation worsens in the coming months.

Sources have said the Premier League is determined not to return to a situation where crowds are limited or totally off limits at high-level games.