Expert Speaker – Mr. Alberto Colombo – Deputy General Secretary at the European Leagues
The CIES conference conducted by Mr. Alberto Colombo who is the Deputy General Secretary at the European Leagues talked about the new format of the Club World Cup and the increased fixture congestion in Football globally.
The conference started off with an explanation of the new format of the Club World Cup which will see the previous seven game tournament to an astounding thirty-two teams participating next year. It was highlighted that the aim of this new format is to raise the level of international competition, improve the tournament’s reputation, and increase its commercial value. Eight groups of teams will be formed, and the top two will move on to the knockout stages, resembling the official FIFA World Cup. Involvement from teams from every continent will inevitably increase fan interaction.
Mr. Colombo then went on to talk about the growing issue of fixture congestion. We learned that while there are benefits of this new format, there are a few concerns as well as this tournament adds to an already very crowded football calendar. The players are now having to play a lot more matches over the course of the year due to domestic leagues, international competitions, and now the Club World Cup as well. This has caused concerns for player welfare as athletes struggle to manage physical and mental fatigue. Top clubs in Europe are involved in multiple competitions simultaneously leaving little room for rest and recovery.
The conference was informative and very well conducted by Mr. Alberto Colombo as he explained the concepts very well while keeping the session engaging with the students who were present.
