Despite tensions with FIFA's intensive schedule, the Premier League will not shrink from 20 to 18. In an interview with the BBC, Premier League CEO Richard Masters talked about related topics.
Masters said: "I don't think we should be forced to make such a decision (reduced to 18 teams). I support the development of football and the ability of our clubs to play exciting events, but it should not come at the expense of domestic football."
"Assessment of this form of competitiveness, schedule and basic economics is still underway, but evaluating the success of the Club World Cup is not my job, my job is to evaluate whether these new events are for domestic schedules and domestic events. It has an impact, and the Premier League is one of them. The Premier League has been 20 clubs since 1994 for 380 games. We have not changed the scale. "
"We are now starting to redesign our domestic schedule for European and global expansion, and we require players to participate in more games. In top matches, there must be a proper dialogue between FIFA and all stakeholders on how to advance these things, which has always been very lacking."
"Other football institutions' decisions beyond our reach have a butterfly effect, which directly affects the domestic league. When you end an event in mid-July and have to give players three weeks of rest, it's not reasonable to have an unnecessary conflict with our club. This involves not only the teams participating in the Club World Cup, but also the teams they are going to play. We have to treat everyone fairly."
"I'm not unaware of the Premier League In a highly competitive environment, we always pay attention to what is happening. Obviously, Saudi United is developing and moving forward, but the Premier League is also developing. "
"Of course we have our own problems, but fans want to watch the game, both at home and around the world. Our game is full of suspense, you don't know who will win. There are competitions at the bottom of the standings and in the competition for European qualifications, and hopefully there is a championship battle. As long as this situation continues, I am very optimistic about the future of the Premier League."