Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that the Spanish giants intend to reject an invitation to play at next year’s Club World Cup over a competition bonus.
The competition is set to be expanded to 32 teams and will be played across four weeks in the US next summer following the conclusion of the 2024–25 season.
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Madrid were expected to be one of the standout clubs to take part – having won the tournament on five occasions in the last nine years, but Ancelotti, who guided Madrid to a double of La Liga and the Champions League, is adamant that his team will not play due to FIFA not offering enough money and believes other sides will follow suit.
“FIFA forgets that the clubs and players will not participate in that tournament.
“A single Real Madrid match is worth €20m (£17m) and they want to give us that money for the entire competition. Negative,” Ancelotti said in an interview with Il Giornale.
“Real Madrid, like other clubs, will decline the invitation,” Ancelotti added.
FIFA’s decision to expand the Club World Cup has been criticised in recent weeks due to concerns over player welfare.
Premier League and La Liga chiefs have threatened to boycott the competition and accused FIFA of ‘killing the game’ by adding more matches to an already-packed football calendar.
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