Aleksander Ceferin persists and signs. In an interview published this Sunday in the JDD, the Slovenian boss of UEFA confirmed that he did not want to hear about a World Cup every two years. The subject has been regularly discussed for many months. Gianni Infantino, the boss of FIFA, clearly implies that his mandate could be marked by this small revolution in the world of football.
The hypothesis of a boycott mentioned
We are still very far from it. This Sunday, Aleksander Ceferin openly affirmed that in the event of a biennial World Cup, the selections overseen by UEFA would not participate in the event. “With South America, we clearly stated that we would not play it. Without us, it wouldn’t really be a World Cup. On the other hand, we have had calls from national associations belonging to other confederations who also say they are against “, he pointed out to the JDD. The Slovenian also insisted on the overload of calendars that such a reform would cause. “It’s incredible that a football organization can offer players who already have to bear too heavy a load to play a month-long tournament every summer”.
Ceferin is convinced of this, the World Cup every two years “will not happen” because “it is complete nonsense”, “a populist project that would destroy football”. “It goes against all the principles of our sport, of the Olympics…”
He took the opportunity to slip a small, subtle tackle against Noël Le Graët, president of the French Football Federation, denouncing what he considers to be doublespeak. The boss of the FFF had estimated that Europe had many lucrative competitions and that it was appropriate to share the financial windfall. “He said that, then I went to see him in Paris and he assured me that he supported UEFA’s position. So it is very difficult to follow, ”he denounced.
A final four in the Champions League? ” That would be great “
The boss of the European football confederation has obviously taken care to express himself on the competitions which fall under his authority. First and foremost, the Champions League. Aleksander Ceferin did not hide his enthusiasm when discussing a possible Final Four in the most prestigious of club competitions. “We haven’t yet discussed it in a concrete way because of the pandemic, which has forced us to manage daily life, but my opinion is that it would be great. I raised the subject with certain presidents including Nasser Al-Khelaïfi (PSG) and they agree, ”he said.
