This World Cup Discussion

 A month ago, this wasn't discussed much around German soccer-enthusiasts.  Today?  I'd say it's a significant topic.  So to the bulk of the discussion.

Every four years....soccer (worldwide) has a international 'cup'.  You can call it the 'superbowl' of soccer, which takes about a month to conduct.  It attracts a lot of media attention and tons of money for the FIFA organization.  Each country picks up their best citizen-players, and meets in one country for the series.  

If you polled most German guys....about fifty percent will tell you it's big deal (they grill more and gulp down more beer in this month-long period).  From German women, they mostly grin, and probably seventy-percent will tell you it's a total waste of time.

So FIFA has opened up this discussion....why have this only once every four years?  Why not every other year?

The German soccer authorities?  Well....they aren't happy about this discussion.

In general, there is a second series called the UEFA Championship....which is basically a European deal only.  55 European countries are eligible for this, and 24 of the top 'clubs' will play it.

There's a fair amount of money made off this.  

How often is this UEFA deal held?  Every four years....in between the World Cup games. 

So you go to a local successful German club (say Frankfurt, or Mainz), and they have the regular season (34 games), and then at the conclusion....there's a play-off of sorts (eats up another month).  So between the season, the playoffs, and season-starting period (getting in shape)....there's forty-four weeks that a player has to contend with. That gives him some Christmas time off and roughly six weeks of mid-summer off.  

But if you figure the UEFA deal and the World Cup deal (each every four years)....that summer period off (six weeks) is gone. 

So players are getting every two years....a pretty short summer, and the whole German league season is pushed to the extreme....to work as it is today.

Then you want to repeat the World Cup every two years?  I suspect most players will say that by age thirty....under this extreme scheduling....they are mostly finished physically. 

What's driving the idea of every other year a World Cup?  Well...MORE profit for FIFA management.  They could double their income.

Halting this discussion?  Near impossible.  FIFA, TV sports, and the general public is moving toward accepting the every-other-year idea.

What I suspect will happen?  I think that ten-percent of the top players around the German league will just say at the conclusion of the regular season....they are 'off' and refuse to participate in either the World Cup or the UEFA games.  You won't see the best of the best play, and it'd be obvious that you are viewing a lesser product.

The folks who do play?  I would suggest that most will demand more cash (from the UEFA or World Cup folks), and have a retirement plan in their mind by their late 20s.