Uefa president Ceferin rejects idea of holding World after every 2 years. Fifa is holding a feasibility study into a biennial men’s and women’s World Cup following a proposal from the Saudi Arabian football federation in May.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has rejected the idea of holding the World Cup every two years, saying it would “dilute” the tournament. The consultation process is being led by former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger. “The jewel of the World Cup had value precisely because of its rarity,” said Ceferin.
Speaking in person in front of 160 club representatives at the General Assembly of the European Clubs’ Association in Geneva, he added: “Holding it every two years will lead to more randomisation, less legitimacy and unfortunately, dilute the World Cup itself.”
The men’s World Cup has been held every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 because of World War Two. The women’s tournament has also been every four years since it began in 1991.
Wenger, chief of global football development at Fifa, said in May that he wanted to see the World Cup and European Championship played every two years and have Fifa “kick all the rest out”. In his own video address, Infantino did not mention the World Cup. However, he said there needed to be a “fundamental” rethink around the international calendar with “no taboo topics”.
“We should not take it as any sort of challenge and fight,” he said of Wenger’s consultation. “It is a way to make global football strong. We have to give to fans even more reason to enjoy our sport. “The door of Fifa is open to any idea to any proposal.”
Source – BBC News
