FIFA look set to change international calendar after pressure from Europe's top clubs

By Andrew Warshaw

March 6 – FIFA looks set to bow to pressure from Europe’s top clubs by reducing the number of international fixtures from 2015 and scrapping meaningless friendlies, especially the one in August that coincides with the start of most leagues.

World football’s governing body have outlined a UEFA-backed proposal of 18 matches for each country over a two year period, six fewer than the current maximum.

A working group from confederations, players and professional leagues met at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich to discuss the post 2014 calendar – minus, it should be added, representatives from the European Club Association (ECA) who boycotted the talks.

The ECA appear, however, to have got what they wished for after FIFA published a list of recommendations for 2015-2018 saying it would now be submitted to its Executive Committee for approval at the end of March.

The match dates would be split into nine double-headers in March, September, October and November, and every other June when there is no major tournament.

February friendlies are also conspicuous by their absence from the new programme.

The ECA originally wanted only six double-headers but agreed to a compromise with UEFA – which has now also been approved by FIFA.

The “summit” was led by FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke, fresh from his appearance at the International Football Association Board (IFAB) meeting over the weekend when he made off-the-cuff remarks about Brazil’s World Cup progress, or lack of it, and found himself, not for the first time, in hot water.

The calendar recommendations’ main points are:

1 Nine double dates in a two-year cycle (18 matches in total) with a 10th double date available for the non-European member associations during Euro 2016;

2 Even distribution of the nine double dates over each year (March-September-October-November), with a June window every second year (odd years);

3 No specific dates for friendlies, which can only be played within the framework of the double dates;

4 Players to be released from the Monday of any international week;

5 Two national team matches can be played during the international window until the Tuesday of the following week at the latest, e.g. with the first match on the Thursday;

6 In principle, a team shall play both games of the same window in the same confederation; however, it may play them in two different confederations provided precise criteria (relating to flight times, for example) are fully observed, in order to avoid travel overload for players;

7 A player may play more than one international tournament per year (Olympic and youth tournaments excluded): whenever Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) Africa Cup of Nations and Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football’s (CONCACAF) Gold Cup are played in the same year as the FIFA Confederations Cup, players of teams from CAF and CONCACAF that have qualified for the FIFA Confederations Cup may participate in both tournaments.

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