“I just believe it’s a reshaping of your mind because its unusual”
Arsene Wenger has defended his decision to push for a biennial World Cup by suggesting that the younger generation ‘want to be entertained much more’.
The former Arsenal manager – who currently holds the position of FIFA’s head of global development – is keen on having a World Cup every two years, despite many people within the game expressing their opposition to the idea.
However, FIFA’s hopes of pushing through plans appear to have been dealt a significant blow in recent weeks, with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin warning European and South American countries could choose to boycott the biennial tournament.
Despite this, Wenger has reiterated his plan for the change to take place and insists that people need to ‘reshape their mind’ in order to understand it.
Fair play to Arsene Wenger. Thought Florentino Perez’s ‘young people say the game is too long’ wouldn’t be beaten in terms of stupidity.
‘The perception of time has changed’ from Wenger does it though
🎥 @SkySportsPL pic.twitter.com/2myLbUB6QU
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) October 15, 2021
“I believe that the players want to play big games, what they don’t want is to play small games,” said the Frenchman.”The big competitions is something that everyone wants to play in.
“If I tell you now that you would be world champion, even if it’s for ten minutes, you would say yes.
“Today, if a country doesn’t go to the World Cup, they have to wait for eight years, if a player is injured he doesn’t play for eight years in the World Cup.
“I just believe it’s a reshaping of your mind because its unusual.
“But as well, the perception of time has changed and the younger generation want to be entertained much more”
If the 71-year-old’s proposed change goes ahead, the international calendar would see a major finals every year, with tournaments such as the European Championship and the Copa America taking place in odd years, and the World Cup being played in even years.
Related links:
- FIFA President open to World Cup co-hosted by Israel and Palestine
- Neymar hints that the 2022 World Cup may be his last
- Tyrone Mings: I’m not in favour of a World Cup every two years
