Lent.az
Javier Tebas, president of Spain's La Liga, has strongly criticized the Club World Cup scheduled for June-July 2025.
According to Lent.az, citing foreign media, the La Liga president has opposed the new format.
During a speech at the Professional Football Forum in Brussels, Tebas expressed negative opinions about FIFA. According to him, the decision to hold the Club World Cup harms national leagues and disrupts the sporting balance.
Tebas addressed FIFA President Gianni Infantino, saying: "Mr. President, you have no broadcasters, no sponsors. This tournament benefits no one - neither clubs nor players. It must be canceled."
Tebas's arguments: finance, workload
The head of La Liga pointed out that the tournament is financed by FIFA's funds, and these funds should go to support national federations. He also criticized the large cash prize (100 million euros for the semi-final) for disrupting competition between clubs.
In addition, the expansion to 32 teams and the intense competition schedule create excessive physical stress on the players. According to Tebas, the new format disrupts the ecosystem of European leagues. He also stated that La Liga was not consulted about the tournament schedule.
This is already creating difficulties in planning the start of next season, as Real and Atletico, representing Spain at the 2025 Club World Cup, will not be able to start the championship on time.
In this edition of the Club World Cup, Atletico stopped competing after the group stage, while Real advanced to the 1/4 finals.
About the 2025 Club World Cup
The 2025 Club World Cup is the first in an expanded format with 32 teams and will last almost a month.
The tournament is hosted by the United States, with games starting on June 15 and running until July 13. This format is expected to be permanent for future tournaments.
