Premier League chief warns of ‘saturation point’

Football will reach saturation point if matches keep being added to the calendar, according to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters.

The Premier League is part of a legal challenge against Fifa alongside other domestic competitions in Europe and player unions over the sport’s calendar.

They argue the game’s global governing body has not consulted with them in any meaningful way over scheduling.

Fifa has previously rejected claims that Fifpro and the World Leagues Association were not consulted over plans to host a 32-team Club World Cup.

Risks to player welfare have been highlighted at length by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) but Masters also believes too much football risks turning people off.

“It’s a really difficult thing to predict when saturation takes hold,” he said.

“Obviously, we have lots of football. The Premier League is part of it. It’s part of the picture, our clubs participate in multiple competitions, and we’re adding to that calendar, so it should be a concern.

“I think that we will reach a point of saturation.”

Masters said the legal action was not just about Fifa’s plans for an expanded Club World Cup and more about the impact its scheduling could have on existing competitions.

He added: “If our clubs get to the final of those competitions, what sort of teams are they going to be able to field at the start of the Premier League season when we have an obligation to the players to give them three weeks’ rest, which they won’t get?

“In the end, it doesn’t add up, so a new accommodation has to be reached. The Club World Cup is a relevant competition that should be able to develop in its own way, but not at the expense of other people’s competitions.”

Masters also defended suggestions the Premier League’s own pre-season initiatives, such as the Summer Series in the United States, have added to the problem.

He said: “Pre-season is about coming back. I believe [the matches] are protective to the players in the sense that if you want to walk over the white line on Saturday in a Premier League match, you’ve got to be physically on point. You cannot be unfit.

“Therefore, a pre-season is required, with matches in it. Obviously, we try and make that pre-season part of the show and part of the promotion. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”