A prominent figure involved in a case that transformed football could play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of a scheme supported by clubs like Arsenal.
The Gunners returned to the Champions League after a protracted absence in 2023-24, reaching the quarter-final stage.
They have re-emerged as an elite club in recent years thanks to Mikel Arteta‘s efforts on the training ground and the recruitment team’s high success rate.
Their ambitions are therefore soaring.
That extends to their business dealings behind the scenes, with the club constantly seeking out new commercial opportunities and ways to increase revenue.
With that in mind, the latest developments at governance level within football will likely not go down well at the Emirates.
Jean-Louis Dupont joins FIFPro case against Club World Cup
As reported by The Guardian, FIFPro are launching legal action against FIFA and their plot to expand the Club World Cup.
From 2025, the Club World Cup will become a 32-team, group stage and knockout tournament with the eventual champions awarded up to £84m in prize money.
FIFPro, the top representative body for footballers worldwide, is being led by the English Professional Footballers Association.
Amid concerns for player welfare, FIFPro have challenged FIFA’s supremacy in terms of being able to set the international match calendar.
Crucially, FIFPro have enlisted Jean-Louis Dupont to represent them in the case.
Dupont masterminded Jean-Marc Bosman’s challenge to international transfer rules in 1992 which allowed players to switch clubs upon the expiry of their contracts.
His success rate does not bode well for the future of the Club World Cup.
Arsenal and their peers in the so-called Big Six are all backing the expanded Club World Cup, which they believe could unlock huge revenues.
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Arsenal’s ECA connection could be key
Crucially, the Club World Cup has the support of the European Club Association, the top representative body for professional clubs on the continent.
The ECA is one of the most powerful groups in football and its influence is growing exponentially at present.
The body has hundreds of member clubs, but only a select few have full voting rights.
Arsenal are part of that elite group.
Their chairman Richard Garlick, who has just stepped into the position vacated in North London by Vinai Venkatesham, sits on the ECA executive board.
He therefore has considerable influence and will have oversight of FIFPro’s case against the Club World Cup.