A step too far? New Club World Cup set to have far-reaching impact on football
FIFA's expanded Club World Cup which gets underway in the United States this weekend is a controversial addition to the global football calendar and one that could have a far-reaching impact on the sport in the years to come.
The 32-team tournament, with one billion dollars in prize money on offer, has been crammed into an already overloaded schedule leading to concerns it will push elite players to breaking point.
It also threatens to upset the balance of domestic and continental club competitions, giving competing teams huge financial advantages over rivals.
Consider the leading clubs in Europe, which is sending 12 teams including Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea.
The chances are high that some will go deep into the Club World Cup, with a maximum of seven games to be played up to the July 13 final.
The riches on offer are extraordinary, up to a possible $125 million for the top-performing European team.
"The Club World Cup model affects the ecosystem of national leagues, especially in Europe," Javier Tebas, the president of Spain's La Liga, told radio station Cadena Cope.
But while the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona will not be in the United States and so will miss out on the cash prizes, they will be able to give players a much-needed rest.
"I think it will have a huge impact and it will give Liverpool and Arsenal a huge advantage in the next season to not be there," said England manager Thomas Tuchel when asked about the consequences for the Premier League.
Those clubs are already among the world's wealthiest without taking into account the sums being lavished by FIFA, but what about teams elsewhere.
It will become harder for clubs in South Africa to challenge Mamelodi Sundowns once they leave with a guaranteed minimum of almost $10 million the equivalent of the prize money for winning nine domestic titles.
The amateurs of Auckland City already dominate in Oceania before being handed over $3.5 million just as an appearance fee.
But if taking part here will be perhaps the ultimate career highlight for their players, it just adds to the demands on those at top clubs.
The introduction of the competition was met with opposition in Europe, and global players union FIFPro has warned that the wellbeing of many of its members is being threatened by the huge workload they face.
Portugal midfielder Vitinha has played 52 matches for PSG this season, including the Champions League final win over Inter Milan on May 31.
There have also been eight games for Portugal, including the Nations League finals last week. Now he is off to the United States with PSG, with potentially no holiday until mid-July.
The next French season is then due to start in mid-August, at the same time as the Premier League and La Liga.
And at the end of next season Vitinha should be back in North America with Portugal at the expanded 48-team World Cup.
Such demands on leading stars are why player unions in Europe last year raised the threat of strike action in a bid to cut down on the number of matches.
"The problem is the accumulation of excessively long and intense seasons back to back," said Maheta Molango, chief executive of England's Professional Footballers' Association.
"Players don't think just about the summer, they think about how they are not going to have a holiday for the foreseeable future."
Meanwhile, domestic leagues do not see why they should change to accommodate FIFA's new tournament.
"International organisations and especially FIFA have increased the number of matches they organise, so now we have a calendar that is beyond saturation," said Mathieu Moreuil of the Premier League.
Other competitions are being devalued because the Club World Cup is taking place at the same time, like the CONCACAF Gold Cup, also being played in the United States.
USA coach Mauricio Pochettino is unable to call on leading players like Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah because they are at the Club World Cup with Juventus.
"That is the circumstance that we have and we need to adapt," said Pochettino, the former PSG coach who may disagree with the view of Luis Enrique, currently in charge of the French side.
"I think it is an incredible competition," he remarked looking ahead to the Club World Cup.
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