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Possible solutions to the FIFA calendar controversy

Last week FIFA received a collective complaint from European professional football unions and leagues. The subject of the complaint is the overcrowded fixture schedule for the upcoming season. The complaint is based on the fact that the health of the players is damaged by a very full calendar of national, international and national team matches and as a consequence they will have very few days of rest.

The complaint has served to put FIFA on the ropes who, however, assures that it will not change the calendar that has already been established.

Given this situation, the question is: if the professional leagues are so concerned about the overcrowded calendar, why don't they take action? Can they do anything about it? The answer is clear: yes.

In its day the RFEF already made a big change in the format of the Copa del Rey to free up the calendar for the professional teams. In the current format, implemented in 2020, the knockout rounds are played as a single match until the semi-finals, which are played over two legs. Thanks to this decision, the professional teams were freed from several days of the cup competition, the calendar was reduced and it has been a benefit for the smaller teams, as they have a better chance of beating a big team.

In Spain's LaLiga there are 42 professional football teams, 20 in the first division and 22 in the second division. But can anything be done to protect players' rights? Some professional leagues in European countries - those most sensitive to the health of their players - have already made the change, the Bundesliga (the German league) has 18 teams in the top flight and 18 in the second division. Also Ligue 1 (the French league) has recently changed it following the German criteria. They have reduced the number of teams in their leagues - from 40 teams to 36 - in order to allow the best clubs to compete in a shorter season in terms of schedule, which also leads to a higher quality of play and the deserved rest and recovery of the players.

In the face of this controversy, are the Spanish league, the premier league and the Italian Serie A doing everything they can to remedy the situation and free up the calendar? The question is, why don't they?