Javier Tebas slams international calendar: "The system will end up breaking"

Javier Tebas has once again raised his voice against fixture congestion. The LaLiga president took part in FIFPRO's Peak Performance and Health Summit in London on Thursday and warned that the uncontrolled growth of international competitions is endangering player health and the economic viability of domestic leagues. His forceful intervention puts the question of who decides how many matches are played at the centre of the European football agenda.

• Tebas argues that domestic leagues bear the consequences of an increasingly overloaded calendar.
• The LaLiga president demands a real role for leagues, clubs and players in decisions about new competitions.
• He warns that the system will eventually break down if the accumulation of matches is not stopped.
• He identifies three areas of risk: player health, the value of broadcasting rights and the economic sustainability of the industry.

Tebas warns about player health and the burden on domestic leagues

During his appearance at the FIFPRO summit, Tebas was clear in describing a model that, in his view, benefits a small number of international events while passing the entire cost on to domestic competitions. The pile-up of dates, he said, not only takes a physical toll on players but also erodes the value of television rights and compromises the financial balance of the sector. His diagnosis points to an industry that keeps adding matches without measuring the consequences for those who sustain the day-to-day running of the game.

It cannot be that, in order to benefit a few international events, we put the health of thousands of players and the economic balance of the entire industry at risk.

Who decides how many matches are played and who pays the price

After the summit, the head of LaLiga expanded on his message on social media. He raised a fundamental question that sums up his position: while international competitions keep growing and occupying more dates, it is leagues, clubs and players who absorb the effects of that expansion. Tebas rejects the role of mere spectators in decisions taken without their real involvement and is calling for a structural change in football governance.

Tebas demands a binding agreement before expanding competitions

Tebas' proposal goes beyond criticism: he wants any expansion of tournaments or addition of matches to the calendar to be subject to an agreement with leagues, clubs and players. For the LaLiga president, it is not enough to be informed once everything has been decided, nor to be consulted without any real power to change anything. He insists that the future of football requires decisions made jointly by all those who make the game possible every day.

The clash between international calendars and league sustainability

The fixture debate is nothing new, but Tebas' intervention in London comes at a particularly sensitive moment. Domestic leagues have long complained about the growing space occupied by international tournaments, both for national teams and clubs, and the pressure this puts on their own competitions. LaLiga's stance forms part of that battle to protect the value of the domestic product and the stability of thousands of jobs linked to football. Tebas insists that unlimited growth is not compatible with the sustainability of the system and that the solution lies in bringing all parties to the table.

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