Gianni Infantino La Liga president should resign as FIFA president, saying he has ‘destroyed the football industry’ by expanding international competitions Javier Tebas said on Monday.
This is not the first time Infantino has been slammed for overcrowding and for considering expanding the 2030 Men’s World Cup from the start. 48 teams Up to 64.
“It makes no sense to increase the number of national teams. The football industry is not only about the World Cup, which is the most important event. But not everything can revolve around the World Cup,” Tebas told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“In my opinion, yes, I think his time is over,” he said of Infantino. “But he has the support of the system and the federation, so I don’t have much more to add. There is no opposition candidate, no one runs just to lose. This is the system and it is rotten to its core.”
“He shouldn’t stay, but he won’t leave. I’ve heard many people who are against Infantino. They say, but then they don’t do anything. I don’t know which is worse, silence or complicity, because those who are silent are fully aware of the damage that football is suffering.”
South American soccer governing body CONMEBOL has made an official proposal to expand the number of teams participating in the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams. The tournament is already set to be the most expansive yet, with six host countries spanning three continents.
“National competition is what underpins this sport,” Tebas added. “They are destroying the football industry, which generates tens of thousands of jobs, for an event that lasts 40 days and involves a small number of players.”
He also criticized world soccer’s governing body FIFA over the new rules. hydration break It was also introduced at the World Cup, which ended on Sunday, when Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the final, extending the half-time interval to 27 minutes instead of the standard 15 minutes.
Hydration breaks were introduced in the middle of each half to help players cope with stress. summer heat in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. But critics say they had unintended consequences, spoiling the flow of the game and giving coaches an opportunity to tactically sway the tide in their team’s favor.
“FIFA arranges things as they wish, in their own interests, and of course not for the sake of football,” Tebas said. “The hydration break is a lie. La Liga also has hydration breaks, but only when it’s really hot. Here, in Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta, the pitches had air conditioning. That was a lie. It was just a publicity break.”
Infantino announced in April that he would run for reelection for a fourth term as president. Voting for the period 2027-2031 is scheduled for March 18 in Morocco.
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