Mark Parsons, the national coach of Dutch footballers, followed in the footsteps of his predecessor Serena Wickman and spoke out against the annual World Cup. The World Federation of FIFA is considering holding the finals for both men and women every two years instead of once every four years.
“When making big decisions like this, the game has to come first. In this case the players, they ‘re the game,” Parsons said. “You have to see what is best for the players. And if there are reasons other than the interests of the players, you should not do that. If you are going to host the World Cup once every two years in addition to football, you will get a very rare situation.
Wickman, who became England’s national coach, thinks the same thing. “It’s not good for the players’ health, they’re not robots,” said the 51-year-old former footballer. “If you had all of those matches every year, when should the players rest and recover from a serious year?”
Parsons will play his team in the second qualifier towards the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand on Tuesday in Reykjavk. FIFA wants to revise the international sports calendar thereafter. The Dutch team, along with the KNVB, Belgian and German clubs, is trying to win the 2027 World Cup. All three neighbors have been preparing for the ‘auction’ since last year.
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