Late on Tuesday night (AEST), FIFPro Europe - a branch of the global players’ union FIFPro - announced it will take joint legal action against FIFA with European Leagues, the umbrella body which represents the organisations which run professional club football in 31 countries.

It is the latest and most significant escalation in the ongoing dispute between players, clubs and competitions like the Premier League and La Liga, and FIFA over the world governing body’s allegedly jam-packed international match calendar, which FIFPro says is “beyond saturation”, hence the move to file a formal complaint with the European Commission.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino.Credit: AP

FIFA hit back immediately, accusing clubs of “hypocrisy” and clogging up the calendar themselves with endless lucrative off-season friendlies to far-flung destinations.

Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Why should you even care?

For years, there have been growing tensions over the number of games being added to the football calendar - which Premier League chief executive Richard Masters recently said was at “tipping point” - and the impact this is having on the health of players, who are being exposed to greater risk of injury the more they are asked to do.

The lightning rod for all of this appears to be FIFA’s imposition of a rejigged Club World Cup, starting in 2025.

Two months ago, FIFPro and the World Leagues Association (yet another umbrella body for clubs and/or leagues) called on FIFA to reschedule the Club World Cup, saying players were being “pushed beyond their limits”, and threatening legal action if they didn’t. FIFA insisted players and clubs were consulted about changes to the international........

© Brisbane Times