“FIFA forgets, the players and the clubs will not participate in that tournament (FIFA Club World Cup). A single match of Real Madrid is worth 20 million and FIFA wants to give us that amount for the entire cup. Negative. Like us, other clubs will reject the invitation,” stated Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach, in an interview with ‘Il Giornale.’ Shortly after, Real Madrid denied the words of their coach, citing the “excitement” they felt about participating in the tournament. However, they acknowledge that there are still different points to resolve between Florentino Pérez and Gianni Infantino, presidents of Real Madrid and FIFA, respectively. Their relationship is good, and the only thing that separates them is finding the time to sit down and align their positions.
Real Madrid does not have an open front against FIFA in a closed and negative stance, but rather an open and dialoguing one. In fact, there are two points on the table that need clarification: the amount to be received for participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup to be held in the United States (comprising 32 teams from around the world) and how to fit in having the Santiago Bernabéu as the venue for the final of the 2030 World Cup.
CLUBS WILL NOT BE CHARGED EQUALLY
Both issues have an economic background since, on the one hand, Real Madrid negotiates its participation in the Club World Cup individually and is not integrated into the ECA (European Club Association). At the start of this tournament’s path, some figures were discussed, which are now different, and everything needs adjustment. What is certain, according to ‘Marca,’ is that it will not be an equal financial distribution for everyone, and each will be on a different level. For example, as this newspaper indicates, CONMEBOL clubs will receive about 10 million euros, a lower amount than those of UEFA (ECA) and different from Real Madrid’s own.
Therefore, it is a matter of getting out the calculator, studying the numbers, and quantifying the value of Real Madrid’s presence in the 2025 North American tournament. In this sense, the Madrid club aligns with their coach in that their club cannot participate at any price, which is ultimately what the Italian wanted to express.
THE BERNABEU AGAINST CLUB-STATES
On the other hand, the issue of the Santiago Bernabéu centers on FIFA wanting to ‘occupy’ the stadium for three months, which Madrid does not desire because it has already become an important leisure center with concerts and events of all kinds. Therefore, that time without being able to use it should also be quantified, or FIFA’s required usage time should be reduced.
With this episode clarified, it should be confirmed that Real Madrid and FIFA maintain a very good relationship through their presidents. However, Real Madrid is aware that to compete against ‘state-owned clubs’ emerging across European football, they must maximize every economic opportunity and scrutinize each operation closely.”
