if you ask the fans, the biggest problem in football is the huge gap between rich and other clubs. If you ask the clubs, transfer and agent fees are going to destroy them, and if you ask the players, the game calendar is getting bigger and bigger, and it’s killing them, literally. So, when an experienced coach and a football legend like Arsene Wenger calls for the World Cup to be played every two, instead of four years, people are in shock. Former Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has been working for many months on a revolution in international football: a World Cup every two years, and Continental Championships every two years as well. The goal: a final phase every summer. The way: qualifications tightened over five to six weeks.Former Arsenal boss and current #FIFA director of development Arsene Wenger has called for the World Cup to be held every two years. The 71-year-old has also called for a single annual period of international qualifiers in a global football calendar.— EWN Sport (@EWNsport) September 3, 2021 As former Gunners coach said to L’Equipe, the aim of this new format is to continue improving the quality of football by improving the frequency of competitions. Wenger also hinted that the current football calendar is set until 2024, and only then, any potential changed can kick in.“The big idea, initially, is to group the qualifying matches on two international windows, in October and March, for greater visibility of the calendar, greater simplicity for the clubs, and less problems to solve for the selections. The principle would be a grouping of qualifications, every year, and at the end of the season a major competition, World Cup or Continental Championship. Between the two qualifying windows, the player would stay at his club all year round” explained Wenger.Off course, the first thing which comes to mind is the number of games which would increase, not to mention that such a proposition is always looked upon as a way to earn more money, not thinking about the players benefits etc.“No, not at all. There will be no more matches than before, and players will be less often called upon by the national teams. The idea is really to improve the quality of the game and the competitions, there is no financial intention behind it, especially as FIFA redistributes the money to all the federations of the world to develop football in the countries . For the players, there will be no more matches, and there will be compulsory rest after the final stages, at least twenty-five days, in my idea” clarified Wenger.Wins for both Argentina and Brazil – Messi survives a horror tackle, Everton saves the dayThe Frenchman was often critical of those international brakes during his career as Arsenal coach, and he thinks that his new format would make life easier for the clubs and managers too.“I understand the reluctance, but I must stress that 166 countries have requested that this possibility be studied. I think it’s doable, as long as you get that clarity and that simplicity in the organization. The clubs will have the players all to themselves for at least seven months. They have everything to gain from it. During the time when they need them most, they will have them with them constantly. Having been confronted with this often, I know it is a real problem. Instead of four periods during the season where clubs can lose momentum due to the international break, there will only be two or even one. Personally, I would prefer there to be the whole month of October for the selections, and nothing in March. But even if we keep those two windows for qualifying, there would be two instead of five, plus the tournament in June” says Wenger. Monkey chants and drinking beer from the supporters cup – what a World Cup qualifier for EnglandAsked if he is worried about the future of international football if these reforms don’t take place, the Frenchman said no, but emphasized the need for national football to survive.“This communion of football must be made to survive at all costs. We should not multiply new competitions, but rather focus on the major competitions that have meaning. It must be recognized that society is demanding more and more matches with high stakes and high emotion, and more and more often. Even the Euro, which took place two months ago, seems far away to us. Finally, I think that the football public does not want the qualifications to last a year and a half. We can very well concentrate them over four to five weeks. Finally, the idea that we carry would really start to come into action in 2028, which means that there will be seven years past, during which mentalities will have continued to evolve in this direction. We must anticipate the future” finished Wenger.
