Kevin’s backing Wenger cup plan
MANCHESTER CITY midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has thrown his weight behind Arsene Wenger’s proposal to hold the World Cup every two years, claiming it is “not a bad idea”.
The former Arsenal manager – now the chief of global football development at FIFA – is leading a consultation on a new international men’s calendar from 2024.
It includes controversial proposals for a major tournament every June and cutting the gap between World Cups from four years to two.
UEFA has expressed its opposition, with the confederation’s president Aleksander Ceferin even saying that European countries could boycott biennial World Cups.
The Premier League came out against the plan on Thursday and there is also opposition from European leagues and the European Club Association.
But De Bruyne says it has some merit – as long as players get rest at the end of each season.
“At the start of the season, I had a meeting with FIFA and Arsene Wenger to explain to us what they wanted to do,” said Belgium playmaker De Bruyne.
“To do something like that, federations of all countries, UEFA and FIFA have to coordinate.
“I insisted on a second point – I told them that they had to keep a real period of rest for us, the players, at the end of the season.
“The idea isn’t bad in itself as long as everyone works together.”
FIFA Congress voted to conduct a feasibility study to look at biennial men’s and women’s World Cups in May after a proposal from Saudi Arabia.
An online summit takes place on December 20 and the world governing body’s president, Gianni Infantino, says he hopes that a consensus position can be presented to the associations at that meeting.