European League reports 'FIFA harsh match schedule' to EU

Major European leagues and players' delegations have reported FIFA, the International Football Federation, to the European Union, which has planned a harsh international tournament schedule.

The European branch of the International Football Association and the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, French League 1 and Spain's La Liga held a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, and said they had jointly submitted their declarations.

They argued that FIFA's imposition of a tight schedule without reflecting the league and players' positions for commercial reasons constitutes an abuse of control under EU competition law.

FIFA has countered that the current schedule was approved by the board of directors, where delegates from the continent participated, when the league and players' union expressed their intention to take legal action in July.

If the European Commission reviews the filing process and content and finds it justified, it will lead to a formal lawsuit.