Too many games in football – Blatter

Fifa chief Sepp Blatter wants smaller domestic leagues and fewer games to boost international level football.

Fifa chief Sepp Blatter wants smaller domestic leagues and fewer games to boost international level football.

Published Jan 5, 2011

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Paris – Fifa chief Sepp Blatter wants smaller domestic leagues and fewer games to boost international level football.

In an interview on the Fifa website, Blatter said that the increasingly-charged calendar for world football was a major issue of concern for him.

“In my view, and this is something on which (Uefa chief) Michel Platini agrees, domestic championships are too long because there are too many teams and too many matches,” he said.

“Teams in leagues with 20 clubs play 38 games, on top of which they also have national cup competitions and league cups, etc.

“This also creates a conflict of interest between national teams and clubs, some of whom complain that their players come back tired or injured. That's not the fault of the international calendar, however, and it's a subject that ought to be discussed.”

The question of domestic league schedules has come under the spotlight following the recent shock awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar where summer temperatures can soar well over 40 degrees.

Out of concern for players and fans alike, there have subsequently been calls for the tournament to be played during the winter which would inevitably clash with the domestic league fixtures.

Blatter also spoke about what role would be played by the Task Force Football 2014 he set up to look into various aspects of the game.

“Its objective is to assess tournaments and the way in which the game is organised. Let me give you a few examples.

“At the moment three points are awarded for a win and one for a draw, which is something we can discuss and decide whether it's a good thing or not.

“Is extra-time the only option we have when a game ends in a draw? And if we stick with extra-time, how should we end games?

“Is it worth taking another look at the golden goal? Some people like it, some people don't. There are a lot of issues regarding tournaments we can look at and discuss.” – Sapa-AFP

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