FIFA to revamp World Club Championship

FIFA have proposed to revive their World Club Championship in 2005.

The tournament will take place in December 2005 in Japan if the plan is approved by FIFA’s executive committee at a meeting on London on February 29.

It will include six teams, one from each of the FIFA Confederations which are based loosely on the different continents, and will last eight days.

It will incorporate the Intercontinental Cup – the one-off annual match in Japan between the European and South American champions which has traditionally denoted which club should be considered world champions.

The European and South American champions would be seeded and join the competition in the semi-finals and play no more than two games each.

In 1999 FIFA staged its inaugural World Club Championship in Brazil with Sao Paulo club Corinthians beating Rio de Janeiro’s Vasco da Gama in the final at Rio’s legendary Maracana Stadium.

Originally a second tournament was planned for Spain but failed due to lack of interest from sponsors.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter backs the new format, saying it is “an expression of solidarity in world football”.