Al-Riyadh newspaper | The President of the English Premier League warns of difficulties for Chelsea and Manchester City

Richard Masters, CEO of the English Premier League, warned that the Club World Cup next June may create “major difficulties” for Manchester City and Chelsea’s preparations for the next season of the local competition.

The two clubs will represent England in the Club World Cup, with its new system, which witnesses the participation of 32 teams in the United States during the months of June and July.

The tournament sparked legal challenges from football players’ associations and local leagues in Europe in particular.

Player welfare appears to be one of the main drivers behind these challenges, as Masters fears that there will be little respite for the stars of either club if they continue their Club World Cup campaign.

“The leagues and players’ unions are not satisfied with the decisions that were taken by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA),” Masters said on Sky Sports’ “The Board Room” podcast.

“We’ve seen the Club World Cup looming, and that will obviously have an impact on the Premier League,” Masters added. “If Manchester City or Chelsea qualify for the final of that competition, the Premier League starts four weeks later, and all players are supposed to get three.” Weeks of vacation as part of a contractual obligation.”

“So how do we do it? With great difficulty, I would say,” Masters explained in his statements, which were reported by the British news agency (PA Media). “We believe that if the leagues and players’ unions had been involved in the decision-making processes about how to organize these competitions, the results would be better.” “This is what we demand.”

The final match of the Club World Cup is scheduled to be held on July 13, with the English Premier League competitions for the 2025/2026 season starting on August 16.