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The top European leagues, including the Premier League, and global players’ union Fifpro will launch legal action against world governing body Fifa over its “abuse of dominance” in the game.<\/b><\/p>\n
The European Leagues, which represents 39 leagues and 1,130 clubs in 33 countries, says it is filing a complaint to the European Commission to protect the welfare of players.<\/p>\n
It comes following growing pressure from leagues and player unions, including the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), over the number of games added to the calendar and the impact on players.<\/p>\n
A Fifpro statement said the international calendar is “now beyond saturation”, “unsustainable for national leagues” and a “risk for the health of players”.<\/p>\n
It added: “Fifa’s decisions over the last years have repeatedly favoured its own competitions and commercial interests, neglected its responsibilities as a governing body, and harmed the economic interests of national leagues and the welfare of players.<\/p>\n
“Legal action is now the only responsible step for European leagues and player unions to protect football, its ecosystem and its workforce.”<\/p>\n
The statement said Fifa has “consistently refused to include national leagues and player unions in its decision-making process”, having been urged to develop a clear and transparent process regarding the international match calendar.<\/p>\n
The European Leagues includes the English Football League, Scottish Professional Football League, Serie A and the Bundesliga. La Liga is not a member but is joining the action.<\/p>\n