Football
Stephan Uersfeld, Germany correspondent 7y

German Football League CEO Christian Seifert: Leagues must not be neglected

German Football League (DFL) CEO Christian Seifert has urged FIFA and UEFA not to neglect national leagues because of a focus on expanded international competitions.

Speaking at the DFL's New Year reception on Tuesday, Seifert warned that plans for an augmented World Cup, alongside the enlarged European Championship, could lead to a power struggle between international and domestic competitions.

"The interests of the leagues are not taken seriously any more," he said.

"It is completely illogical when FIFA and UEFA are becoming a quasi-competitor of the national leagues due to their competition planning.

"The national leagues develop young players who will later turn into stars, which also helps the national teams. No one else does that.

"FIFA and UEFA will never be able to replace the work done in national leagues."

Seifert said that although he knew "where the smaller associations are coming from" in their support for an enlarged World Cup, the sporting quality "will decrease."

Earlier this month, FIFA backed proposals to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from 2026, drawing criticism from domestic federations and the European Club Association (ECA).

The German Football Association (DFB) said it was "not happy" with the decision, while Spain's La Liga reportedly threatened to take legal action against FIFA.

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