By Andrew Warshaw
August 6 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter, in what appeared to be a unilateral stance not sanctioned by US soccer officials, says the MLS is to change its calendar to fall into line with Europe and much of the rest of world football.
The MLS season runs from March until early December, playing through the summer, with some of its players temporarily loaned back to Europe during the off-season.
Blatter unexpectedly fuelled the calendar debate at a press conference ahead of the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada. Although his MLS comments were not widely reported, an audio clip posted by a Canadian soccer publication has him noting, “they have taken the decision… I do not know exactly when they will start… to adopt their calendar to the European calendar. You know, right now they are a little bit outside of this international calendar compared to Europe.”
His comments are understood to have taken MLS officials totally by surprise. Last year MLS commissioner Don Garber said that the league had considered an international calendar, but decided against it so as not to compete with traditional US sports and to avoid playing in freezing conditions in many MLS cities.
“We have not been able to figure out a way… to justify moving those games from the very valuable May and June time period into February and end of December,” Garber was quoted as saying at the time. “We will continue to look at it … but it’s not something we’re going to do in the short-term.”
The MLS has consistently struggled to find a solution, not least when it comes to international dates. The league took a break during the World Cup and whether Blatter meant it would shift its entire schedule, or simply make greater strides to fall into line with FIFA’s international calendar, was unclear.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734801812labto1734801812ofdlr1734801812owedi1734801812sni@w1734801812ahsra1734801812w.wer1734801812dna1734801812