LONDON (Reuters) -
European clubs have accused world soccer’s governing body FIFA of abusing its regulatory function in a growing row over the extended release of players for World Cup qualifiers in September and October.
The Premier league and Spain’s LaLiga both said they backed clubs refusing to make players available for matches in South America.
Premier League sides will be particularly hard hit by FIFA’s decision to extend a mandatory release period from nine to 11 days, to enable triple-headers to take place in South America.
England’s strict quarantine rules have also added to the headache, with the Premier League saying no exemption had been granted by government for soccer players.
Liverpool had already refused to allow forward Mohamed Salah to travel to Africa for World Cup qualifiers with Egypt next month because he would be forced to quarantine on his return to England.
The same measures could affect Liverpool’s Brazilian trio of Roberto Firmino, Alisson Becker and Fabinho, who have been called up for next month’s qualifiers against Chile, Argentina and Peru.
Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Peru are all on the British government’s ‘red list’ of countries that trigger a 10-day hotel quarantine to guard against the spread of COVID-19.
“Premier League clubs have today reluctantly but unanimously decided not to release players for international matches played in red-list countries next month,” the league said in a statement.