John Fallon: FAI will eye push for biennial World Cup

Gianni Infantino: Claims majority of countries in favour of biennial World Cup.

For a man whose ability to conveniently miss sight of events was notorious, Arsene Wenger is crystal clear in his crusade to see the World Cup staged every two years.

Fifa’s chief of global football development is the friendly face of the campaign to shorten the interval of the greatest show on earth, even prepared to divide and conquer by citing the “modern guy” as supportive of the switch to biennial tournaments for men and women.

Couched in a debate over revamping the “football calendar” from 2024, halving the four-year cycle of World Cups is the primary driver.

The more opposed key pillars such as Uefa, the English Premier League and the world’s player union are to the concept, the more determined Wenger and his lobbyists seem to persevere.

And the festive spirit has gripped the movement, for Fifa’s 207 national federations — including the FAI — received tidings of goodwill from Fifa president Gianni Infantino during a virtual videoconference on Monday.

Streaming into their coffers arising from the €3.1bn extra profit would be an additional average payout per member, per year, of €3.5m. Then, there’s the bolstered Fifa Forward Fund, making available another million to each federation in project grants.

There’s been talks galore since Infantino and Wenger began floating this venture and now that talk is translating into money promises, a sure-fire way of influencing those grappling with their conscience.

Infantino, a Swiss-Italian, has brushed aside the backlash from Europe by claiming to his audience a sense of inevitability about a sea change.

“If I was going to a (Congress) vote tomorrow probably, the majority would vote in favour of World Cups every two years,” he declared.

It was a bullish statement typical of a Fifa president. Congress will be the eventual arbiter. The annual convention last May was the scene for the feasibility study into the biennial overhaul to be first broached and the sequel on March 31, due to be in Doha, will adjudicate on next steps.

That the proposal came from the Saudi Arabian federation and the summit is being held in the Middle East may well be a factor in the direction of the conversation.

Asia and Africa have been the biggest backers across the confederations so far, leaving Uefa and South America united in their objections.

One thing all are agreed on is that the public’s appetite for all-year round football is growing.

Last summer’s European finals underlined the popularisation of the international game and it seems Fifa have stolen a march on Uefa in attempting to harness the demand.

Replicating the African Nations Cup interval of two years for the Euros could materialise as the belated counter proposal if change has to be reluctantly embraced, instead of resisted, by Uefa chief Aleksander Ceferin. Regardless, Europe is in danger of either being outmanoeuvred by a voting pact or getting left behind.

“We see the split in our polls that the younger generations are in favour and the generation over 50 is against,” noted Wenger of the latest research commissioned by the world governing body.

“We don’t have to be scared. The modern guy who watches football is knowledgeable. He’s demanding and tests the quality of what he watches.

“There is a demand from young fans and society for meaningful events. If we don’t create them, another sport will.”

Describing himself as a “referee” in all of this, the former Arsenal manager appears to be gradually assembling more players on the pitch.

England manager Gareth Southgate seldom misreads the room and as a contemporary coach and figurehead brought the thirst for more into the discussion by stating: “I don’t know how our generation are going to find a World Cup every two years but I also know that things like The Hundred in cricket have been an incredible success.”

Others have appeared to have become amenable to an exploration phase too.

Atop the list of victims in this development are the players, already crying foul over burnout concerns in an era of tightening off-season breaks.

Eight weeks ago, FIFPro’s general secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann told AFP about Fifa’s proposals: “It is quite clear that if you try to push this through against the interests of all these other stakeholders, and without their agreement, it is probably dead in its tracks.

“When we met with Fifa for the first time, we asked them for the economic analysis and we haven’t seen that yet.”

Now they’ve furnished it. Figures presented on Monday from the findings report by an agency detailed a spike in revenue from $7bn (€6.2bn) to $11.4bn (€10.1bn).

Everyone’s a winner from the bonanza, they contended, although Uefa’s own studies show a dent of €1bn per annum for their revenue.

As for consultation, the avuncular Wenger is on the charm offensive, offering to traverse the globe to meet and reassure all constituents.

Equally respected is the spearhead of the women’s equivalent, former World Cup winning manager of USA, Jill Ellis. People of such repute tend to get a hearing and their message is spreading.

From an Irish perspective, apart from the tempting carrot of easy money to aid their crippling debt, there’s little on the table, as yet, to nibble on.

Before this brainchild gathered pace, an expansion of the World Cup was previously mooted, starting in 2023 with the women’s showpiece swelling to 32 nations.

The All-American 2026 men’s version — referenced by FAI chief Jonathan Hill in September as a target for not just football reasons — is open to 48 countries, with Europe’s allocation increasing from 13 to 16.

Ireland is highly unlikely to stray from Uefa’s trenchant opposition unless the Fifa machine complement their gifts with easier access to a tournament Ireland last reached in 2002. In a barren year for Irish football in terms of senior tournaments, their biggest “meaningful” game of 2022 might be played out off the pitch.

Scattergun contract renewals damaging to league’s reputation

In last week’s column, we touched on the need to snap the short-term syndrome on contracts so it was disappointing to see some clubs engaging in renewal bingo. For the League of Ireland to be taken seriously, and to provide some proof that it’s finally developing as an industry, then security of employment for its players and staff is essential.

Announcing the retention of players within weeks of their deals expiring is the exception in England, even the lower tiers, but in these shores it’s tantamount to a celebration.

Messaging is vital. Bohemians, bolstered by their European windfall, completed most of their business before the season concluded, yet opted to delay announcements until the days following their FAI Cup final involvement. Despite a selection of those with options elsewhere, like Georgie Kelly, still to make up their minds, Bohs unveiled a list of 11 players who had accepted fresh terms.

Shamrock Rovers waited until last Saturday to publicise a cohort of eight staying put while the folly of Dundalk’s contract policy last week is starting to be untangled by a slew of retentions.

Drogheda United were the gold standard of the Premier club in day-long drip feeds. Fresh from separate emails on December 6 announcing two re-signings, a recruit and departure, they had a pair of renewals apiece two days apart last week.

Euro results bring English WSL brand back to earth

A bit like its men’s equivalent did for years, the English Women’s Super League is starting to get a reality lesson about its standing in European competition.

Not since 2007, when an Arsenal side backboned by Irish trio Emma Byrne, Ciara Grant, and Yvonne Tracy lifted the trophy, has an English side won the Champions League. The Gunners, with Katie McCabe in the side, are the league’s sole survivor in the quarter-final stage.

They must overcome a Wolfsburg outfit that applied the last rites on Chelsea’s campaign with a 4-0 humbling last weekend. Emma Hayes claimed Covid issues (more anxiety rather than cases) contributed to their slum, but few clubs or countries have been spared the carnage of the pandemic.

Arsenal, too, had been outclassed in the group stages, beaten 4-1 and 4-0 by holders Barcelona, underlining the gap English sides must bridge.

With much fanfare, the WSL managed to attract a clatter of world stars such as Pernille Harder, Sam Kerr, and Vivianne Miedema, along with US World Cup winners Alex Morgan, Christen Press, and Tobin Heath.

Chelsea’s first English representation in a final since Arsenal’s win was to be the bedrock for strides in Europe, but only the current Gunners side can back up that aspiration.