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Grindel calls for Confederations Cup to be scrapped

November 29, 2016

DFB President Reinhard Grindel has called on FIFA to scrap the Confederations Cup. His comments come at a time when many European players and clubs have been complaining about having to play too many games.

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Deutschland 42. Ordentlicher DFB-Bundestag Reinhard Grindel
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Schutt

Speaking in an interview published in Tuesday's edition of the "Hamburger Abendblatt" newspaper, Grindel, president of the DFB (German football association), said doing away with the Confederations Cup would give top-level players some much-needed rest. He also said the tournament was not needed to help teams prepare for the World Cup in the following year.

"I believe the competition is obsolete," Grindel said. "It would be a good signal towards the top clubs in Europe - who are right to warn about too big a strain on their players - to say: We will also do away with an event."

Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, football's world governing body, said on the sidelines of last Saturday's Confederations Cup group draw in Kazan, Russia that the format could be changed and "we are putting everything on the table."

The tournament, which since 2001 has been held one year before the World Cup, brings together the six FIFA confederations champions, the World Cup holder - in this case Germany - and the host team.

Grindel also raised the issue of the high cost of sending a team to the event, saying he would seek a bigger financial contribution from FIFA for teams participating in the 2017 tournament in Russia.

Germany head coach Joachim Löw has said he will not send his strongest team to Russia next June to give some of the country's biggest stars some well-deserved time off.

pfd/dv (SID, dpa)