Latest news with #ArseneWenger
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Club World Cup proves it is imperfect but here to stay
EAST RUTHERFORD (United States), July 13 — The first edition of the expanded Club World Cup wraps up this weekend with FIFA president Gianni Infantino already hailing it as a huge success while the world of football faces up to the idea that an imperfect tournament is here to stay. Infantino's flagship competition—initially supposed to be launched in 2021 before the pandemic intervened—was derided by many, especially in Europe, before it kicked off. It was seen as an unnecessary addition to a crowded calendar, while there were also doubts as to whether it would win over the public. Even after it began former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp dismissed the competition as the 'worst idea ever implemented in football'. However, the last month in the United States has shown that such a viewpoint is surely an exaggeration. FIFA has earned criticism for the number of empty seats at many matches, but fans have turned out, with around 2.5 million attending games across the country. South American supporters in particular helped create vibrant and colourful atmospheres, and the average crowd of almost 39,000 before Sunday's final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea was just below that of the English Premier League last season. 'The decisive factor is if the fans like it or not, and the attendances were much higher than expected,' insisted Arsene Wenger, FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development. 'I don't share the opinion of Jurgen Klopp at all because I feel a real Club World Cup is needed and if you ask all the clubs who were here at this competition I am sure all of them would want to do it again.' What they would prefer not to have to deal with again is the kind of temperatures that come with playing during the afternoon in a North American summer. Many matches were impacted by the heat and several faced long delays due to thunderstorm warnings. That looks set to cause major headaches for FIFA at the World Cup in North America next year. 'Playing in these temperatures is very dangerous, and obviously for the spectacle... the pace of play is not the same, it slows everything down,' complained Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez. That can be looked at for future tournaments, but it will surely be harder for FIFA to do anything about the dominance of Europe's leading clubs. Europe provided both finalists but did not have things all its own way, with Fluminense of Brazil flying the flag for the rest of the world. They knocked out Inter Milan en route to reaching the semi-finals, while fellow Brazilians Palmeiras got to the last eight along with Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal. Could it be expanded further? The majority of the tournament's huge US$1 billion (RM4.26 billion) prize fund still went to European teams, but the money distributed to competing clubs from around the world could give them a better chance of keeping their best players for longer. Infantino accepts that his tournament would be a greater draw if more of Europe's biggest names were involved but insists it will remain open to clubs from around the globe—even if that means mismatches like Auckland City losing 10-0 to Bayern Munich. 'Auckland represents to some extent 99.9 per cent of all players, who would like to be like them but will never have the chance—there must be a place for everyone,' he said. 'Of course I would have liked to have Liverpool here, Arsenal, Manchester United, Barcelona, Tottenham, AC Milan, Napoli... but you have to qualify.' Adding more games—up to seven for the finalists—to an already crowded calendar is problematic. Nevertheless, the determination of PSG to go all the way following their Champions League triumph, or Manchester City's disappointment when they went out, suggests that they were fully invested. 'We are very used to not having holidays unfortunately because the schedule is crazy,' City's Bernardo Silva said after his team's quarter-final exit. 'But when we are in a competition we take it very seriously and we had a lot of ambition for this Club World Cup.' And there will be another Club World Cup, even if Infantino has so far played down suggestions the tournament could be immediately expanded further, and staged more often. 'It will happen every four years, it is planned, and the next edition is in 2029,' said Wenger. — AFP
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
Wenger defends Club World Cup amid Klopp criticism
Fifa's global football chief Arsene Wenger admitted the US summer heat posed challenges but said valuable lessons have been learned. (EPA Images pic) NEW YORK : Arsene Wenger has dismissed Jurgen Klopp's criticism of Fifa's revamped 32-team Club World Cup, calling the tournament a 'fantastic competition' and emphasising the support it has received from participating teams, players, and managers. Klopp, the former Liverpool manager, described the expanded summer competition as 'the worst idea ever invented' in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt two weeks ago. Wenger, now Fifa's chief of global football development, countered these remarks on Thursday during a Fifa Technical Study Group (TSG) briefing in New York. 'Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I don't share Jurgen Klopp's view at all,' Wenger told reporters. 'I feel that a Club World Cup, a REAL Club World Cup was needed. If you make an inquiry today with all the clubs who were here at this competition, I'm basically sure that we have 100% of answers of people who want to do this again. So that's basically the best answer.' Wenger also pointed to the unexpectedly high attendance figures as evidence of the competition's success. 'The decisive question is, do the fans like it? Attendance projections were low, but in reality, they were much higher. The answer is there,' he added. The tournament has provided Fifa with a testing ground ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will take place across North America. Wenger acknowledged that the summer heat in the US posed challenges but said Fifa has learned valuable lessons to address these issues. 'The heat in some games was a problem,' Wenger admitted. 'We tried to combat that with cooling breaks and watering the pitches during breaks. We learned a lot on that front.' He singled out Orlando as one of the venues where pitch conditions proved difficult, though he praised the quality of natural grass pitches overall. Philadelphia's surface, he said, would serve as a benchmark for future competitions in the US. Looking ahead, Wenger said Fifa is considering using covered stadiums in cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Houston to host early matches in next year's tournaments. He also revealed that Fifa analysts have studied the impact of heat on player performance, finding that temperatures above 35C affect high-speed running and sprints more than overall distances covered. 'Certainly next year, there will be more roofed stadiums as we have to follow the TV schedule. We are learning to be better equipped to deal with these conditions,' Wenger said. The inaugural 32-team Club World Cup concludes on Sunday, with Paris St Germain taking on Chelsea in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Arsene Wenger responds to Jurgen Klopp's claim that Club World Cup is ‘the worst idea ever in football'
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has called the Club World Cup a 'fantastic competition' in response to Jurgen Klopp's claim that the tournament is the worst idea ever implemented in football. Klopp called the tournament 'a pointless competition' in June, criticising the amount of games and lack of recovery times that players will get and highlighting his fears that 'we will see injuries like never before'. Advertisement But Wenger, who now serves as Fifa's chief of global football development, said that he feels the competition 'is needed' in football. When asked about Klopp's comments, the 75-year-old said: 'I am going to give a very boring answer to a very interesting question. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and I don't share the view of Jurgen Klopp at all. "I feel a Club World Cup is needed. If you make enquiries to all the clubs who were here then 100 per cent of answers would be that they would want to do it again. That's the best answer of what the clubs think of a Club World Cup. "And the decisive question is do the fans like it or not? We believe the attendances were projected as low and in reality were much higher. The answer is there." Advertisement Fan engagement and interest in the competition has been the subject of debate in recent weeks. Some matches have seen embarrassingly low attendance figures for some of the smaller clubs involved, though some fans – notably those of South American clubs – have travelled in vast numbers to support their teams in the USA. More recent fixtures have also been played in temperatures reaching the mid-30s, with concerns over player welfare, the state of pitches and how this may all affect next year's World Cup. And speaking on what Fifa have learned from the competition, Wenger said that there will be more stadiums with roofs, while 'TV times will be more sensitive'. Jurgen Klopp described the Club World Cup as 'the worst idea in football' (PA Archive) "The heat in some games was a problem but we tried to combat that with cooling breaks, watering the pitches during the break and overall I feel we learned a lot on that front," Wenger said. Advertisement "In two different venues [there was a problem], one of them was Orlando. But we shouldn't underestimate the quality of the permanent pitches. "Certainly next year in stadiums there will also be more with roofs. At the same time, the weather conditions can be a problem for everybody. "I asked our analysts to analyse the impact of the heat. We found heat of over 35C had an impact on high-speed running, so sprints, not distances. You have to be equipped to deal with it,' he added. The Club World Cup final takes place this weekend in New Jersey, with MetLife Stadium – the venue for the World Cup final – hosting as Chelsea take on European Champions PSG. Advertisement The 2026 World Cup begins in less than a year, with the expanded tournament seeing games across the United States, Canada and Mexico between 11 June and 19 July 2026.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Wenger responds to Klopp's claim that Club World Cup is ‘the worst idea in football'
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has called the Club World Cup a 'fantastic competition' in response to Jurgen Klopp's claim that the tournament is the worst idea ever implemented in football. Klopp called the tournament 'a pointless competition' in June, criticising the amount of games and lack of recovery times that players will get and highlighting his fears that 'we will see injuries like never before'. But Wenger, who now serves as Fifa's chief of global football development, said that he feels the competition 'is needed' in football. When asked about Klopp's comments, the 75-year-old said: 'I am going to give a very boring answer to a very interesting question. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and I don't share the view of Jurgen Klopp at all. "I feel a Club World Cup is needed. If you make enquiries to all the clubs who were here then 100 per cent of answers would be that they would want to do it again. That's the best answer of what the clubs think of a Club World Cup. "And the decisive question is do the fans like it or not? We believe the attendances were projected as low and in reality were much higher. The answer is there." Fan engagement and interest in the competition has been the subject of debate in recent weeks. Some matches have seen embarrassingly low attendance figures for some of the smaller clubs involved, though some fans – notably those of South American clubs – have travelled in vast numbers to support their teams in the USA. More recent fixtures have also been played in temperatures reaching the mid-30s, with concerns over player welfare, the state of pitches and how this may all affect next year's World Cup. And speaking on what Fifa have learned from the competition, Wenger said that there will be more stadiums with roofs, while 'TV times will be more sensitive'. Jurgen Klopp described the Club World Cup as 'the worst idea in football' (PA Archive) "The heat in some games was a problem but we tried to combat that with cooling breaks, watering the pitches during the break and overall I feel we learned a lot on that front," Wenger said. "In two different venues [there was a problem], one of them was Orlando. But we shouldn't underestimate the quality of the permanent pitches. "Certainly next year in stadiums there will also be more with roofs. At the same time, the weather conditions can be a problem for everybody. "I asked our analysts to analyse the impact of the heat. We found heat of over 35C had an impact on high-speed running, so sprints, not distances. You have to be equipped to deal with it,' he added. The Club World Cup final takes place this weekend in New Jersey, with MetLife Stadium – the venue for the World Cup final – hosting as Chelsea take on European Champions PSG. The 2026 World Cup begins in less than a year, with the expanded tournament seeing games across the United States, Canada and Mexico between 11 June and 19 July 2026. Watch every Fifa Club World Cup game free on DAZN. Sign up here now .
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Arsene Wenger says Club World Cup is ‘needed' following Jurgen Klopp's criticisms
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has responded to Jurgen Klopp's criticism of the Club World Cup, saying the revamped, 32-team tournament is 'needed' and that clubs would '100 percent … want to do it again.' Wenger, who is now FIFA's chief of global soccer development, backed the new look Club World Cup, which wraps this weekend with the final between Chelsea and Paris Saint Germain, during a FIFA media availability session on Thursday in Manhattan. Advertisement Wenger leads the event's technical study group, which is made up of former players and coaches, including former USMNT manager Jurgen Klinsmann and newly retired USWNT legend Tobin Heath, who analyze trends in the game. Last month, ex-Liverpool boss Klopp, now head of global soccer at Red Bull, called the expanded tournament 'the worst idea ever implemented in football.' Klopp took aim at how it impacted the football calendar and restricted time for player development. Wenger was asked about Klopp's criticisms of the Club World Cup directly. 'I am going to give a very boring answer to a very interesting question. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I don't share the view of Jurgen Klopp at all,' Wenger said. 'I feel a Club World Cup is needed. If you make enquiries to all the clubs who were here then 100 percent of answers would be that they would want to do it again. That's the best answer of what the clubs think of a Club World Cup. 'And the decisive question is, 'Do the fans like it or not?' We believe the attendances were projected as low and in reality were much higher. The answer is there.' The study group addressed a wide range of topics, from feedback they've received on pitch quality to how extreme heat has impacted the competition. The pitches have been an ongoing issue, with players and coaches offering mixed reviews across its various venues. MetLife in particular, which will also host the 2026 World Cup final, was quickly criticized after the first game hosted there. Wenger defended the overall pitch quality in the United States, insisted the tournament would remain as being held once every four years and praised the high levels of technical quality reached by PSG ahead of Sunday's final. He also addressed the future of the competition, saying 'The next edition will be 2029. That's always been the case [rather than to play the Club World Cup every two years].' Advertisement Regarding pitch quality, Wenger said he received 'very positive feedback' on the quality of training pitches and 'very few complaints' about pitches for games. He described two venues with issues, singling out Orlando. It's unclear which stadium he intended, with the city's Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium both hosting games. Wenger cautioned not to 'underestimate' the quality of real grass fields, even if they require extra care. 'The grass is a bit different here. It's a bit harsher or more resistant than in other countries. The pitches were 'flat'. But once we watered the grass, everyone was happy,' he said. Heat has also been a major narrative in this summer, with scorching temperatures across the U.S. raising concerns over the possibility of midday or early afternoon start times in 2026. 'The heat in some games was a problem but we tried to combat that with cooling breaks, watering the pitches during the break and overall I feel we learned a lot on that front,' Wenger said. 'Certainly, next year in stadiums there will also be more with roofs and the TV times will be more sensitive. At the same time, the weather conditions can be a problem for everybody.' Wenger asked analysts to review the impact of heat on players. He said they found that temperatures over 35C (95F) impacted high-speed running, rather than their distances. Klinsmann, who represented Germany at the 1994 World Cup and as coach led the U.S. to the round of 16 of the 2014 tournament before being fired amid an ultimately doomed qualifying attempt for 2018, also spoke with reporters on Thursday. He recalled how unbearable the heat was in Dallas 31 years ago, but stressed that part of football is adapting to all circumstances. 'The heat is difficult. If you play in 90-degree heat, then you are going to suffer,' he said. 'This has been something completely new, and you have to deal with the circumstances. If a World Cup is in Qatar then you have to adapt. Football is about being able to adapt.' The tournament resumes Sunday with the championship at 3 p.m. local time, which as of Thursday is estimated to be a high of 85 degrees F with partly cloudy, sunny skies.
