Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/970554
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 18 APRIL 2018 Sport 20 SPORTTODAY FOOTBALL European Leagues against FIFA tournament expansion plans TOP leagues across Europe are opposed to FIFA's expan- sion plans for the 2022 World Cup and future editions of the Club World Cup, the European Leagues president Lars-Chris- ter Olsson has said. FIFA plans to expand the World Cup from 32 teams to 48 for the 2026 tournament but the global governing body's president Gianni Infantino has said he was open to introduc- ing the proposal at the 2022 fi- nals in Qatar. The European Leagues, an umbrella group for 32 profes- sional leagues and associations from 25 European countries, is against the proposed expan- sion, which would add extra days and matches to the event. "We are not prepared to make any changes on the calendar for expanding the 2022 World Cup," Olsson told The Times in Britain. "We have already been flex- ible to allow the World Cup to be played in the winter and have agreed the dates, and we are not prepared for the dura- tion of the World Cup to be any longer." In 2015, FIFA announced that the 2022 World Cup would be staged in the last two months of the year in an effort to avoid issues arising from the extreme heat in Qatar during June-July, forcing most leagues to heavily adjust their calendars. World football's governing body are likely to decide on the expansion plan for 2022 dur- ing the next FIFA Congress in June. Infantino also previously said that several companies were in- terested in expanding the Club World Cup from its current eight-team format to a grander 24-team event. "There is also talk about ex- panding the Club World Cup and we have serious reserva- tions about that too," Olsson added. "FIFA seems to be on an ex- pansion drive. It's time people thought about the players — they need time to rest. It can- not just be money deciding how football should be organised." The 2022 World Cup will be held from Nov. 21-Dec. 18, while the Club World Cup has been an annual event since 2005. Madrid penalty row has given Buffon boost he needed, says Juve coach THE controversy over Ju- ventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon's furious reaction to the penalty awarded to Real Madrid in the Champions League last week has done the player good, coach Massimil- iano Allegri said yesterday Buffon was sent off for his angry protests which fol- lowed the penalty decision and bitterly criticised referee Michael Oliver, saying the English official was out of his depth and had a "garbage bin" instead of a heart. Juve were leading 3-0 in the quarter-final second leg, having wiped out a three- goal deficit from the first tie in Turin, but were knocked out when Cristiano Ronaldo converted to make it 3-1 and send Real through 4-3 on ag- gregate. "The evening in Madrid has done him good, it has given him the shot of adrenaline he needed," Allegri told report- ers. "That's how champions live." However, he said that second-choice Wojciech Szczesny would play in Wednesday's Serie A match at Crotone. Buffon, 40, widely expected to retire at the end of the sea- son, has been widely criticised for failing to apologise to Oli- ver over the outburst. Allegri said the match with lowly Crotone will have more influence on the outcome of the title race than Sunday's match at home to second- placed Napoli. Crotone, who last season pulled off one of the great escapes in Serie A history, are again fighting the drop and are stuck in the relega- tion zone, one point adrift of safety. "Between Crotone and Napoli, the more decisive match is the one against Cro- tone," Allegri said. "It would be a significant advantage to reach the match against Napoli with a six point lead. "I have heard talk of scudetto and celebrations. We are wait- ing until it's mathematically won, we need more wins," he added. "Napoli have a single objective, there is more pres- sure on them and they will do anything to re-open the title race."