Evaluate the proposals of Arsene Wenger

The main proposal was to implement the FIFA world cup every two years instead of every four years. Arsene Wenger, a former manager of Arsenal who is now the chief of football development at FIFA, is one of the prominent individuals tasked with the responsibility of supervising the process of altering and enhancing the regulations of the sport. Wenger has served as the manager of Arsenal for a number of years. In the first place, Wenger has voiced his wish to revise the offside rule. In addition, he has proposed extensive changes to the regulations that regulate throw-ins and corners (Ahn & Cunningham, 2020).

The individual gave a presentation in which they detailed the changes to the preexisting set of regulations that they would like to see implemented. Wenger suggests a significant change to the offside regulation, which would provide offensive players more room to roam behind the defensive line or take advantage of possibilities in a crowded penalty area. This would be done in order to maximize the number of goals scored by their team.

Arsène Wenger, a former manager who now serves as the Chief Football Officer for FIFA, is the one who proposed the changes, and the assembly has assembled to discuss them. Wenger and Infantino are physically close to one another. There have already been substantial ramifications felt throughout the football industry as a result of the announcement of the proposed reforms. As an illustration of this point, the president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which is the governing body of football in Europe, has criticized the idea of holding the World Cup every two years as being counterproductive and has vowed not to take part in the event of this kind in the future. The chief executive officer of the Spanish league, which is widely regarded as one of the three most important domestic leagues in football, has expressed his opposition to the ideas, describing them as "a menace not only to domestic football leagues but also to the fundamental customs of global football."

Wenger then outlined a two-pronged set of objectives after Infantino had provided an introduction. The primary goal is to mold the future of football by preventing a rise in the number of games, decreasing the "stop and go" quality of the existing schedule, minimizing player travel, and increasing the amount of rest that is provided to players. The second goal is to improve the standard of football all over the world by making games more important, reducing the competitive gap between countries, expanding the number of opportunities for talent to emerge regardless of where they are from, and expanding the number of opportunities for talent to demonstrate their abilities.

The suggested every-two-year World Cup would give FIFA more chances to connect with its audience by holding big global tournaments every year, which would draw attention from all over the world and take over the news cycle. Using this approach would make sure that FIFA stays relevant during what used to be called "non-competition years" while also keeping the brand visible to make money and get sponsors (Avdić & Bagić Babac, 2021).

Who are the Stakeholders, and How do the Proposals Impact Each of them

The major stakeholder organizations are as follows:-

1. AFC, the Asian Football Confederation;
2. CAF, the African Football Confederation;
3. CONCACAF, the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Associations;
4. CONMEBOL, the South American Football Confederation;
5. OFC, the Oceania Football Confederation; and
6. UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations

In the case of people, the major stakeholders are as follows:-

1. Fans
2. Players
3. Staff
4. Owners

In the case of business, the stakeholders are as follows:-

1. Tickets
2. Sponsors
3. Broadcasting
4. Merchandising
5. Stadium
6. F&B

In spite of meeting opposition from a number of supporters, the well-structured reaction has been obtained from other stakeholders who are determined to keep their portion of the profitable soccer industry or who are striving to maintain the delicate equilibrium between domestic and global events. The swift and decisive dismissal of the European Super League serves as a testament to the significant role played by supporters, as well as the consequential pressure they exert on governing bodies and clubs in scrutinizing the actions of organizations such as FIFA, particularly when they engage in endeavors that are obviously motivated by a desire to maximize profits (Kołodziejczyk et al. 2021).

The concept has generated a significant amount of discussion on a global scale, with proponents, trainers, athletes, and even regional governing agencies taking a variety of opinions on the issue. According to a report that was published by ESPN at the beginning of September, it is thought that 166 out of the 210 member associations of FIFA are in favor of the idea that was previously described. Infantino suggests that a sizeable number of organizations are expected to express their approval of the idea, despite the fact that a time and place for the vote have yet to be established. The European regulatory organization UEFA is one of the most vocal opponents of the planned adjustment to the schedule. Its president, Aleksander Ceferin, has stated publicly many times that the organization will fight against the implementation of the amended calendar. Around $3.5 billion fund will be used to pay associations for any discrepancies that may arise as a result of the revisions (Avdić & Bagić Babac, 2021).

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has expressed its disagreement with the proposed two-year strategy. There are concerns that the women's game may face a drop in revenue as a result of less exposure and interest, which could be related to the increased attention that the men's World Cup would receive. One possible explanation for this phenomenon is that the men's World Cup will receive more media coverage. An advisory panel that was formed by FIFA is currently investigating whether or not it would be feasible to hold the Women's World Cup once every two years instead of once every four years (Ahn & Cunningham, 2020).

What are the Potential Conflicts?

The plan that Wenger put forward in his role as Chief of Global Football Development at FIFA has been the focus of a significant amount of criticism. Wenger does not waver from his position in spite of this, however. After receiving a formal proposal to do so from the Saudi Arabian football federation, the international governing body for football, FIFA, has begun looking into the prospect of making the men's World Cup a biannual competition. This comes in response to the Saudi Arabian football organization's proposal. The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) believes that a rearranged World Cup schedule would be beneficial to a greater number of participating countries. FIFA, the governing organization of international soccer, is now undertaking research to determine whether or not it would be possible to hold the World Cup on a biannual basis rather than on the present quadrennial schedule. At first glance, this is a harmless but mistaken effort to supply devotees with additional content and to promote inclusiveness in involvement.

From this vantage point, it is suggestive of a larger decay that is deeply rooted in the sport: the stakeholders of soccer view it purely as a commodity to be exploited for maximum financial benefit, regardless of its unpopularity or the compromise of the game's quality. This view is indicative of a deeper rot that is firmly rooted in the sport. Equally as important is the notion that this perspective on the game fails to appreciate the underlying fact that players are not merely commodities that can be used for the purpose of marketing items and promoting brands. This is an important point to note since it demonstrates that this perspective on the game is fundamentally flawed. The infrequency of its occurrence and the significance of the event both contribute significantly to the appeal of the World Cup. The fact that each tournament is played only every four years may give rise to emotions of unease; nonetheless, because of this, each game is endowed with significance, and as a result, each World Cup is firmly established as an indelible landmark in the lives of followers (Alhussaini et al. 2022).

Due to the limited amount of opportunities that are available to compete and achieve success in the event of this nature, athletes have a strong desire to compete on the most prestigious stage in the world. The quantity of accessible opportunities to compete in soccer is already rather large, ranging from local and worldwide club contests to an ever-increasing number of regional and global championships for national teams. These competitions can be found all over the world. Soccer is a sport that never stops, and those who follow it have an insatiable appetite for more and more information about the game. People have a tendency to request a break if they are able to fight off their weariness for an adequate amount of time, and if they are able to do so, they are likely to ask for one. According to the findings of the CIES Football Observatory, a sizeable majority of soccer fans believe that there is an excessive number of matches, in particular those featuring national teams. This sentiment was expressed by a lot of people. Fans aren't only worn out because there are so many games to choose from anymore. There is no denying the fact that a great number of people have voiced their opposition to the idea of holding the World Cup every two years. The fact that FIFA is participating in activities that are in direct opposition to the interests of the organized soccer fan base is indicative of the manner in which FIFA and other significant institutions regard the sport. From their point of view, the fundamental objective of soccer is to bring in money for the event organizers, which frequently comes at the expense of the fans. This assertion is consistent with the prolonged and audacious commodification of the global sport, which has been characterized by a conflict for the future of the sport, which has primarily been led by non-democratic entities such as FIFA and the Union of European Football Associations, resulting in their significant victory. This conflict has been characterized by conflict for the future of the sport, which has been characterized by a conflict for the future of the sport. The International Football Federation (FIFA) has shown a shocking lack of concern in how it has responded to the horrible occurrence that occurred. Despite the fact that the building of the acclaimed sporting event will be erected upon the grave sites of several laborers, the ingrained choice to designate Qatar as the host nation for the World Cup appears to outweigh any other alternative options. This is the case despite the fact that the construction of the World Cup will take place in Qatar. In addition, there is a lack of effort being made to remedy this problem. It is quite clear that FIFA has no intention of deviating from the course it is currently on in spite of the growing number of objections surrounding the 2018 World Cup from both fans and players (Avdić & Bagić Babac, 2021).

It is not a recent phenomenon, nor is it anything that is unique to the domain of global football, to try to maximize one's profits to the greatest extent that is possible. Fans of football have recently been exposed to a worrying and clumsily performed effort by the major European clubs to establish an independent European Super League in the month of April. At the moment, they are required to contend with the most recent attempt made by FIFA to make the most of football's potential.

The strategic decision that FIFA has made is partially predicated on the organization's involvement in the process of commercializing soccer. It is rather made easier by the fact that the organization is unwilling to recognize the fact that the players, who make a big contribution to the generation of money, are, in essence, employees. This makes it possible for the situation to persist. It is not always easy to accept the fact that soccer players deserve the money they make, particularly when one considers the fact that a substantial number of them are among the wealthiest and most well-known athletes in the world. On the other hand, if not for these organizations, the possibility of making a profit from the World Cup would not be there (Alhussaini et al., 2022).

As a result of the pandemic, FIFA and other major stakeholders have been forced to acknowledge that their perspective of players is essentially that of human capital. Even before it was determined whether or not such a decision was safe, soccer was one of the first activities to restart in a number of countries after the initial phase of lockdowns in the spring of 2020. The elimination of television advertising revenue continued the continuation of domestic competition, despite the fact that it presented significant financial obstacles. In addition, despite the ongoing global outbreaks, international tournaments have already restarted in a rapid manner (Kołodziejczyk et al., 2021).

The move to have the World Cup every two years, as has been advocated, would, ostensibly, help alleviate problems caused by fixture congestion. Wenger's proposed strategy calls for a reduction in the number of international breaks, albeit with lengthier durations, as well as the elimination of matches that are regarded redundant or lacking in competitiveness. Moreover, the length of international breaks would be increased. It is highly unlikely that the number of international games will be decreased, particularly in light of the fact that FIFA does not have a workable plan for determining what will happen to highly esteemed continental tournaments and their qualifying rounds, which typically take place once every four years, in the event that the World Cup is played every two years instead of once every four years. The action that is going to be taken is a daring attempt to increase profits, which may lessen the significance of a competition that is extremely well known. This may make the problem much worse rather than providing a solution that is workable to the problem. As a result of FIFA's choice to extend tournaments in the guise of fostering inclusion while potentially affecting the level of play, FIFA prioritizes financial gain over the integrity of the sport. This is proven by FIFA's decision to expand tournaments. This expansion is meant to improve revenue streams by widening the pool of participating nations to a greater number of countries. The next World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and the eventual enlargement of that tournament to include 48 participating nations in 2026 would not have been permitted if FIFA had placed a higher priority on the protection of soccer's standards (Avdić & Bagić Babac, 2021).

How should FIFA and Wenger address these?

FIFA Chief of Global Development Arsène Wenger has summarised the objectives of the ongoing comprehensive review of the international match calendar for men's football, reinforcing the need for maintaining the current balance between the national team and club football whilst finding a way to optimize the schedule for all concerned. A vast array of stakeholders from across the game are being invited to present their feedback, views, and ideas on football's future as FIFA uses its platform to welcome debate and diverse opinions on how to enhance the schedule.

Wenger's suggestions include rearranging national team football into fewer but longer windows to reduce travels for players, allowing them to optimize their performance and simplify the calendar for fans. Thus it will create space for meaningful final tournaments in June without adding more matches to the annual total establishing an annual mandatory rest period for players (Kołodziejczyk et al., 2021).

The unfortunate reality is that the process of coordinating supporters at the worldwide level of football is often far more difficult than it is at the club level. This is due to the fact that membership and frequent attendance from season ticket holders and match-going fans generate more solid links of responsibility between supporters and decision-makers. Another reason for this is that season ticket holders and match-going fans are more likely to be involved in the decision-making process (Alhussaini et al., 2022).

Nonetheless, there are some reasons for optimism to be held out. Football Supporters Europe is an independent alliance of football fans from all over the European continent. They have just made a proclamation opposing the World Cup being held every two years, and fans all over the world have backed their cause. In order for the World Cup to continue to be as gripping and revolutionary as it has been in the past, undertakings such as these will demand significantly increased levels of dedication. In order to have any chance of undoing the consequences those years of commercialization have had, additional support from organizations is equally as important as it is needed. This involves ensuring that the various stakeholders who contribute to the success of the world's most widely followed sport, such as the spectators who occupy the stadiums, the athletes who compete on the field, and the labor force that facilitates the entire operation, are given the opportunity to have a say in the direction that the sport will take in the future.

References

Ahn, N. Y., & Cunningham, G. B. (2020). Standing on a glass cliff?: A case study of FIFA’s gender initiatives. Managing Sport and Leisure, 25(1-2), pp. 114-137.

Alhussaini, N. W. Z., Elshaikh, U. A. M., Hamad, N. A., Nazzal, M. A., Abuzayed, M., & Al-Jayyousi, G. F. (2022). A scoping review of the risk factors and strategies followed for the prevention of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases during sports mass gatherings: Recommendations for future FIFA World Cups—frontiers in Public Health, 10.

Avdić, D., & Bagić Babac, M. (2021). Application of affective lexicons in sports text mining: a case study of FIFA world cup 2018. South Eastern European Journal of Communication, 3(2), 23-33.

Beiderbeck, D., Evans, N., Frevel, N., & Schmidt, S. L. (2023). The impact of technology on the future of football–A global Delphi study. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 187, 122186.

Kołodziejczyk, M., Chmura, P., Milanovic, L., Konefał, M., Chmura, J., Rokita, A., & Andrzejewski, M. (2021). How did three consecutive matches with extra time affect physical performance? A case study of the 2018 football Men’s World Cup. Biology of Sport, 38(1), 65-70.

Meckbach, S., Wagstaff, C. R., Kenttä, G., & Thelwell, R. (2022). Building the “team behind the team”: A 21-month instrumental case study of the Swedish 2018 FIFA World Cup team. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 1-26.

Tahmasseby, S., & Reddipalayam Palaniappan Subramanian, P. (2021). Traffic Impact Assessment for the Stadiums Hosting FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar: A Case Study. Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Civil Engineering, 1-12.

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