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By Andrew Warshaw in Geneva
September 7 – European clubs, led by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, today called on FIFA to scrap worthless internationals and stop forcing clubs to release their players for meaningless fixtures.
Coaches from across Europe were furious at losing their international players for a programme of friendlies last month, causing widespread disruption just at the time when they were preparing for the new domestic season.
The issue has become so contentious that the clubs have now hit back with a threat to FIFA that they will no longer be exploited.
“We will intervene more and more in the international match calendar,” said Rummenigge, chairman of the European Club Association (ECA) which covers a cross-section of almost 200 clubs throughout the continent.
“Some countries are already playing their third series of internationals since the World Cup.
We need deep discussions to find a solution.
“Federations like FIFA need to recognise that the players are our employees and we have to be involved in these kinds of discussions.
“The August friendly date was a nonsense.
“We have to make FIFA understand that certain things don’t make sense.
“We have to discuss this with Mr [Sepp] Blatter and his colleagues to do something for the good of football.
“Everyone is so busy in securing this or that competition and we forget that the players are often the same and stretched to the limit.
“It is very dangerous to come back from a long tournament with only three weeks of holidays and with less than one week of preparation and then playing a friendly for the national team.
“That kind of date has to be given up.”
Rummenigge was speaking after the ECA’s two-day annual meeting during which a new 15-strong board was established involving club officials from all echelons of the professional game.
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