 |
| Gianni Infantino - FIFA |
That's one approach to the post-coronavirus pandemic sports world being touted by the world's largest sports federation – FIFA.
Speaking at the 44th Ordinary Congress of the Union of European Football Associations (better known as UEFA) just before the global pandemic took hold, FIFA president Gianni Infantino told the heads of European soccer that it was time to look into changing everything.
Infantino told the high-powered group questions that needed to be asked were directly tied to the keys for success.
How many matches can a player play in a year?
How many competitions do we have?
How many competitions should we have?
What kind of competitions do we need for the future?
Do we play too much or don't we play enough?
How can fans get what they want to see, and if possible even a little bit more?
They are questions that all sports could ask of themselves but which needed to be set aside from a calendar that was either set by chance, tradition or according to the whim of a supporter or sponsor.
Infantino later told Italian news agency ANSA, "Football will come back, and when it does, we'll celebrate coming out of a nightmare together.
"There is one lesson, however, that both you and me must have understood: the football that will come after the virus will be totally different…[more] inclusive, more social and more supportive, connected to the individual countries and at the same time more global, less arrogant and more welcoming.
"We will be better, more human and more attentive to true values," he said.
FIFA vice-president Greg Clarke, who is also president of England's Football Association, said there was a spirit of cooperation among delegates regarding the international match calendar. It was something important for the future of football and it had to be debated and discussed by all stakeholders.
The calendar was a global calendar and other issues like climate and geography had to be considered.
Swimming is one sport already in turmoil as a result of the creation of the International Swimming League (ISL), the brainchild of Ukrainian metallurgy billionaire Konstantin Grigorishin.
His organisation has taken on FINA, the financially sound body responsible for world swimming.
As a result of this move, and the rescheduling of the Olympic Games until 2021, the American who heads the 14,000-strong World Swimming Coaches Association, George Block has asked the FINA coaches' commission to completely change the way sport is contested internationally.
Block told Swimming World Magazine the northern winter season should be handed over to the Grigorishin's ISL. He said the world long-course championships should be held in either 2022 or 2023 while the universality of the sport should be adapted to follow the regional style employed by soccer.
He said the Covid-19 pandemic was an opportunity to declutter the international schedule and to re-think international swimming.
Block said there were already too many 'championships'.
"The International Federations (in all sports) have created – strictly for financial reasons – additional world championships, world cups, world qualifiers. The profits from these events grew the corruption capacity of the Ifs, but it also lessened the importance of the unique, historic and traditional regional events.
"I cannot see FINA (or any of the other Ifs) giving up their revenue-generating events, but this would be a wonderful opportunity to relook at the world calendar and rebuilt it around local events," he said.
Central to all talk would be athletes looking to make a living in their chosen sport. But having them involved in discussions could result in a better grip on reality than was the case before the pandemic and could result in a significant plan for sport's future.
No comments:
Post a Comment