FIFA’s biennial WC plans draw negative reaction from sponsor Adidas

New criticism of plans to stage a World Cup WC every two years has appeared
from an unexpected source, the chief executive of one of FIFA’s main sponsors,
Adidas.
Kasper Rørsted, whose views carry great weight in sport, has joined a growing
number within football in voicing scepticism of the plans, which could be
approved by FIFA before the end of the year.
In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Rørsted said:
“I don’t think much of a football World Cup held every two years. There’s a
European Championship here, there’s a Copa América in Latin America. One
should also leave space for other things.
“I am a passionate football fan … but it is important that not only football is shown
on television but also biathlon, skiing, tennis or handball. If you push just one
product heavily it is not good for any product.”
Adidas has a history with FIFA that dates back to the World Cup of 1970 in
Mexico. It creates the ball for each tournament and is a top-tier sponsor along
with companies such as Coca-Cola and Visa
It maintained its links with FIFA despite the scandals that engulfed the former
president Sepp Blatter and its deal extends to the centennial World Cup of 2030.
Adidas is also a sponsor of UEFA, which has led criticism of the biennial World
Cup.
In a wide-ranging interview that also addressed the political situation in Adidas’s
home territory of Germany, the 59-year-old raised an eyebrow at a number of
aspects of the game at large. He said a European Super League would be bad
for the long-term health of football, despite short-term benefits.
“Financially, the Super League would probably be attractive for us,” he said. “In
the long-term, however, we believe that the love for sport from childhood arises
from having access and it is something tangible.

“It is important for us that children have access to the stadiums and see their
stars, not often, but every now and then. The competitions are not intended to be
elitist events that can only be seen on television.”
Rørsted also said he believed the growth in sponsorship of clubs and players had
reached its limits “apart from a few exceptions”, owing to the predictability of the
outcomes.
Fans “do not want to see the same master over and over again,” he said. “When
Leicester won the Premier League a few years ago, they said: ‘Great.’ The
enthusiasm was similar when Lille won the league in France this year. There is a
lust for the underdog to win.”
UEFA, meanwhile, has set out its plans for the hosting of Euro 2028 – a
tournament which would clash with the first of FIFA’s biennial World Cups if
those proposals are approved.
European football’s governing body said the competition in seven years’ time
was set to feature 24 teams, the same as the last two European Championships,
but the number of participating countries could be increased to 32 with
competition regulations yet to have been fixed.
UEFA will invite single or joint bids, but only two countries will be afforded
automatic qualification.
(The Guardian)