La Liga president calls for FIFA Club World Cup to be scrapped

La Liga president Javier Tebas has once again harshly criticized the expanded version of the FIFA Club World Cup and wants to scrap the tournament.

Mr. Javier Tebas wants to eliminate the tournament in the future - Photo: AFP

Last week, Javier Tebas called the FIFA Club World Cup a “complete nonsense” tournament. And after watching 25 minutes of Chelsea’s 2-0 win over LAFC, he went on to compare it to a friendly.

“We need to get rid of it,” Tebas replied when asked what FIFA should do to develop the Club World Cup better in the future.

“My goal is that there will be no more Club World Cups. This model affects the entire system of national championships, especially in Europe. We have to maintain the existing system and eliminate it," he affirmed.

Asked if he watched any of the games, the La Liga president added: "I watched a bit of the Chelsea game and it was like a pre-season friendly. I didn't see any aggression, at least in the 25 minutes I watched."

The FIFA Club World Cup is taking place across the United States, starting on June 15 and running through July 14.

There are 32 teams participating in this expanded version and the tournament is planned to be held every four years.

Mr Tebas' criticism is backed up by comments from other figures in football.

Porto president Andre Villas-Boas said his club had struggled to sign players ahead of the tournament, with transfer targets refusing to join because they wanted to avoid the added burden of playing in the tournament.

"It's unbelievable to see so many players not wanting to participate in this tournament," Andre Villas-Boas told Men in Blazers.

“They would rather rest to start the new season fresh. This is also remarkable because FIFPRO (the World Federation of Professional Footballers) is asking players to rest more.”

A FIFPRO study has concluded that a four-week summer break should be mandatory for professional footballers.

Villas-Boas, the former Chelsea and Tottenham manager, also said the expanded 32-team tournament came at a bad time for European clubs, having just finished a gruelling season in May.

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THANH DINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chu-tich-la-liga-van-dong-xoa-so-fifa-club-world-cup-20250618090111298.htm