European Leagues tackles FIFA over women's match calendar in expanded EU complaint
FILE PHOTO: FIFA's logo is seen at its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland September 30, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
Sept 8 : European Leagues widened its attack on FIFA's control over football scheduling on Tuesday, extending its European Commission complaint to include what it calls FIFA's "abusive conduct" regarding the women's International Match Calendar.
The body, which represents professional domestic leagues and more than 1,300 clubs across Europe, formally submitted the expanded complaint to the European Commission's competition watchdog, arguing that FIFA's dual role as both governing body and competition organiser creates a conflict of interest that violates EU competition law.
The expanded complaint follows the same pattern as European Leagues' previous challenge over men's football scheduling, alleging FIFA abuses its regulatory position to benefit its own competitions at the expense of domestic leagues.
"As in men's football, FIFA consistently uses its regulatory power to favour its own competition and commercial interests to the detriment of women's football and of European national leagues," it said in a statement.
"The recent controversy surrounding the aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative has further exposed this structural conflict and vividly illustrates how profit-driven motives taint FIFA's regulatory decisions and decision-making processes.
"The case law of the European Court of Justice makes clear that, to continue serving as football's global governing body, FIFA must exercise its regulatory functions in a way that is transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate so as to neutralise this conflict of interest."
FIFA 'DISAPPOINTED' BY EUROPEAN LEAGUES' APPROACH
FIFA said it was "disappointed" by European Leagues' approach, adding that the women's International Match Calendar for 2026-2029 had been "unanimously approved" by the FIFA Council in May 2024.
"The four-year women's International Match Calendar was backed by extensive research, analysis and consultation with key stakeholders, including with European and global leagues, with the impact on players at the heart of its design," a FIFA spokesperson told Reuters.
"Highlights of the calendar include a decrease in the number of international windows from six to five, reducing travel for players and disruption for domestic leagues and clubs.
"FIFA believes in the power of dialogue as opposed to legal action and escalation, and our doors always remain open to reach agreements in the best interest of football."
FIFA pushed back the inaugural Women's Club World Cup by two years to January 2028 to allow stakeholders more time to prepare and give the players breathing space in a condensed schedule.
However, although it will take place during the NWSL close-season in the U.S., it will disrupt the campaign for most of Europe's top leagues.
Europe has been allocated five direct qualification places and one play-in slot for the 2028 Women's Club World Cup.
The tournament would also need to be squeezed into an already packed calendar that includes the Women's World Cup in June-July 2027, followed by the Olympic Games in July 2028.
Unlike the men's Olympic football tournament, which is largely restricted to Under-23 players, the women's competition is effectively a senior international tournament.
However, a report by FIFPRO, the global players' union, on women's player workload published in December said some domestic leagues are failing players through "underload" because they do not provide enough fixtures.
European Leagues said it was ready to engage with the European Commission, public authorities and other football stakeholders throughout the investigation.
"The European Commission must now act to ensure that EU law is respected and that the future of women's professional football is not determined unilaterally by FIFA," it added.
