“Causes football damage”: Bayern boss warns urgently of World Cup plans

“Damages football”
Bayern boss warns urgently of World Cup plans

The saber rattle continues. The dispute over the new World Cup rhythm reaches the Bundesliga. Bayern Munich is clearly positioning itself there. Football must “never be sacrificed on the altar of financial interests,” says President Herbert Hainer.

Bayern Munich’s President Herbert Hainer has confirmed that the German record champions are rejecting plans to host world championships every two years in the future. “We at Bayern are clearly against it,” said Hainer to the “kicker”. The fans all over the world are satisfied with the previous four-year rhythm, it has proven itself over many decades.

Increasing the rhythm of the World Cup in view of the already full calendar simply makes no sense, emphasized the 67-year-old, referring to the health of the players and a reasonable burden. “Even more tournaments and competitions can ultimately lead to oversaturation and thus damage football in the long term,” said the Bayern president and warned: “One must never sacrifice football on the altar of financial interests.” With a men’s World Cup every two years, there would also be hardly any time slots and attention for the continental competitions and the women’s World Cup.

Especially in Europe, but also in South America, the plans of the world association FIFA to change the rhythm of the World Cup are met with rejection. FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed hope for a common solution after a council meeting on Wednesday. On December 20th there is to be an advisory summit for all 211 member associations, but no vote on the plans. More than a dozen associations are even considering ending their membership in the world governing body as the last option and leaving FIFA.

A FIFA technical advisory group headed by Director Arsène Wenger had proposed hosting the World Cup every two years, and the rhythm of continental tournaments such as the European Championship would be shortened. As a result, the changes should finally take effect after the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico with 48 nations for the first time. The tournaments of the confederations would then be held in 2027. In the previously planned EM year 2028, the next World Cup would then be due again.

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