London, 20 December 2024 (PA Media/dpa/MIA) - Cutting the number of teams in domestic competitions like the Premier League to make room for more international club fixtures “will never be an option,” a representative body of European clubs has said.

A statement on Thursday from the European Leagues group – which includes the Premier League within its membership – said it had not been consulted by the promoters of the European Super League over the latest plans they unveiled earlier this week.

Perhaps more significantly though, it appeared to hit back at comments made by European Club Association chairman and Paris St Germain president Nasser Al Khelaifi earlier this month.

He told Spanish outlet Marca that FIFA’s new 32-team Club World Cup did not significantly impact player workload, before adding that 20-team domestic leagues were one of the main culprits for player burnout.

“Supporters and stakeholders across the game have consistently made it clear that any attempt from existing or new international club competitions to expand their calendars at the expense of domestic competitions will be rejected,” the European Leagues statement said.

“Reducing the number of domestic clubs in league competitions to create more space for international fixtures will never be an option for the European Leagues Association and its members.”

Super League promotion vehicle A22 wrote to UEFA and FIFA seeking approval for its new-look ‘Unify League’ earlier this week.

They argued the new competition’s qualification system had been “developed in large part as a result of discussions with clubs, leagues and other parties.”

However, European Leagues, which represents more than 1,000 clubs in 37 leagues around the continent, rejected that assertion.

“European Leagues notes this week’s announcement from A22 and reject any suggestion that a consultation took place with our organization,” its statement said.

“The leagues reaffirm their commitment to the current professional football structure in which clubs qualify for UEFA club competitions through annual domestic performances.

“The A22’s competition model, which is not requested and unsubstantiated, would increase the number of international matches in an already congested calendar.”

As part of their ongoing legal action against FIFA, European Leagues and continental players’ union FIFPRO Europe have asked the European Commission to ensure that no decisions can be made about the international match calendar without the formal agreement of domestic leagues and player unions.

“We will continue to work with all relevant stakeholders to maintain a complementary and sustainable balance between domestic and international football,” the European Leagues statement concluded.

Its rejection of the A22 proposal will be a boost to UEFA, which has not commented publicly since A22 announced it had sought official recognition for its new rival competition.

Within the submission, A22 said it believed the proposed competition complied with the overall match calendar.

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