All of Italy’s top sides have vowed to boycott a revised Club World Cup with 24 teams.
On Friday, FIFA approved plans to expand the Club World Cup from just the champions of its confederations to 24 sides, starting from 2021 and running from June 17 to July 4.
The proposal would also see the tournament sandwiched by 2022 World Cup qualifiers and both the Africa Cup of Nations and CONCACAF Gold Cup.
All of Italy’s top sides have vowed to boycott a revised Club World Cup with 24 teams.
On Friday, FIFA approved plans to expand the Club World Cup from just the champions of its confederations to 24 sides, starting from 2021 and running from June 17 to July 4.
The proposal would also see the tournament sandwiched by 2022 World Cup qualifiers and both the Africa Cup of Nations and CONCACAF Gold Cup.
However, the European Club Association (ECA) hit back in a letter obtained by BBC Sport: “[We are] firmly against any potential approval of a revised CWC – no ECA clubs would take part.
“We wish to restate the position of ECA: (a) ECA is unwilling to consider any new or significantly revised competition prior to a holistic assessment of the IMC post-2024 being conducted and an agreement as to its underlying principles being reached; and (b) in any event, a Club World Cup in June 2021, as proposed by Fifa, is not acceptable in light of the existing competitions and the IMC, which is fixed until 2024.”
The ECA is led by Juventus President Andrea Agnelli and has 232 members, including the Bianconeri, Inter, Milan, Roma, Napoli and Lazio.