(Reuters) – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has reiterated his opposition to FIFA’s plans to stage a biennial World Cup, saying the women’s match or the Olympics would be affected in the event that they have been held in the identical 12 months because the finals.
The European soccer governing physique and its South American counterpart CONMEBOL have strongly opposed the concept which FIFA president Gianni Infantino has mentioned would create an additional $4.4 billion in revenues for the world soccer organisation.
“Europe and South America are in opposition to (the plan) and people are the one (continents with) World Cup winners in historical past. The drawback is that the World Cup needs to be each 4 years to be fascinating,” Ceferin mentioned on the Expo 2020 Dubai honest.
“Second, if it would be each two years, it would cannibalise women’s soccer as a result of it would be on the similar 12 months because the women’s soccer (World Cup), different sports activities, the Olympic Games – many errors.
“It’s merely a nasty thought and it’ll not occur as a result of it’s a dangerous thought, not as a result of we’re opposing it.”
FIFA’s plans had the International Olympic Committee (IOC) frightened with attendees at a summit earlier this month voicing “critical issues” over the proposals and its impression on the world sporting calendar.
“Why are the Olympic Games each 4 years? Because it is an occasion that it’s a must to look ahead (to), that it’s a must to wait (for), and it’s a must to get pleasure from it,” Ceferin added.
“And it is the largest soccer occasion — it needs to be each 4 years. But it is very clear – 75% of followers around the globe reject the concept (of a biennial World Cup).”
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
