Soccer player unions and leagues in Europe go to Brussels with latest legal challenge against FIFA

In a busy soccer season when players have talked of going on strike, their union teamed up with domestic leagues to go to the European Union on Monday with a long-promised challenge to FIFA about how it adds new and bigger men’s competitions.

The European division of player union FIFPRO and the 33-nation European Leagues group filed a formal complaint on competition grounds, alleging FIFA fails to consult properly on decisions that are to its commercial benefit.

It is the latest dispute playing out in the legal arena, where FIFA has been pressured in the past year by rulings related to the European Super League, player agent regulations and — just this month — the global transfer market.

On the field, FIFA will launch a 32-team Club World Cup — including 12 from Europe — in the United States next June and July, and the 2026 World Cup, also in North America, will have 48 teams instead of 32 and last for one extra week.

FIFPRO said “the oversaturated international football calendar risks player safety and wellbeing,” and at a briefing played a video montage of Kylian Mbappé and star players talking about their increasing workload.

“You have so many competitions and we are happy to play but when it’s too much, it’s too much,” Mbappé said at an awards ceremony in May.

The France superstar is set to go to the Club World Cup with Real Madrid.

The complaint delivered Monday to the European Commission targets FIFA, which manages the calendar of protected dates for national-team games. Clubs must release players who are selected.

“The complainants are not seeking financial compensation from FIFA, but instead a fair and inclusive decision-making procedure,” their lawyer Mark English said, adding the EC was asked to make a “cease and desist” decision on FIFA breaking European competition law.

It does not cite European soccer body UEFA, which this season has committed hundreds of players to extra competitive games by expanding three of its men’s international competitions: the Champions League and Europa League for clubs, and the Nations League, which has a new playoffs system.

“We have some representation (at UEFA) and we use that,” English Premier League lawyer Mathieu Moreuil said, when asked why the European body was left off the complaint. “With FIFA we have literally nothing.”

Officials from leagues, clubs and unions once had a formal seat at the table with FIFA on its Football Stakeholder Committee. It was shut down in 2021 by president Gianni Infantino.

This season, Europe’s domestic leagues have had their fixture scheduling options squeezed by four extra midweeks from September through January now occupied by UEFA club competitions.

However, FIFA's new club event was compared by Belgian league CEO Lorin Parys as a threat, like the Super League plan by elite clubs defeated in 2021 by a fan-led backlash.

“Here comes FIFA through our back door whistling and yelling: ‘Surprise,’ saying: ‘We have got a present for you guys’, and it’s really the Super League under a different name,” Parys said.

The leagues’ grievance with FIFA is also in not being fully consulted during talks to agree the latest calendar renewal through 2030 for national-team games, which mostly force them to shut down lucrative weekend fixture slots.

FIFA has said its offers this year of talks were not taken up.

The complaint in Brussels, to the executive arm of the 27-nation EU bloc, also was joined by Spain’s La Liga and claims FIFA abuses its dominant position in soccer.

FIFA’s role, the complaint states, as governing body and regulator conflicts with its commercial objectives as a competition organizer.

FIFA previously suggested there was hypocrisy in European soccer, which sees clubs play lucrative offseason games worldwide, while it had a global duty to protect and develop the game.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

England's Jude Bellingham celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the UEFA Nations League Group F soccer match between England and Greece at Wembley Stadium in London, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

President of FIFPRO Europe David Terrier speaks during a media conference on protecting player health and safeguarding the sustainability of national leagues at the Residence Palace in Brussels, on Monday, Oct. 14, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Panel members, from left to right, FIFPRO Europe president David Terrier, LaLiga president Javier Tebas, AIC resident Umberto Calcagno and Pro League CEO Lorin Parys participate in a media conference on protecting player health and safeguarding the sustainability of national leagues at the Residence Palace in Brussels, on Monday, Oct. 14, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Spain's Lamine Yamal, left, and Denmark's Victor Kristiansen battle for the ball during the UEFA Nations League group 4 soccer match between Spain and Denmark in Murcia, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Soccer player Kevin De Bruyne is shown on a large screen, as panel members, from left to right, NISO executive president Kristoffer Vatshaug, EPL director of international football relations, EU affairs Mathieu Moreuil, FIFPRO Europe president David Terrier, LaLiga president Javier Tebas and AIC resident Umberto Calcagno listen during a media conference on protecting player health and safeguarding the sustainability of national leagues at the Residence Palace in Brussels, on Monday, Oct. 14, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks seemed to be a team on the rise when they made an unexpected run to the Eastern Conference final in 2021.

It proved to be a mirage.

What followed was three seasons of infuriating mediocrity, which returned the Hawks to the sort of middle-of-the-pack purgatory that has been a familiar spot through most of their existence.

Now, with a more defensive-minded approach and a roster that runs eight or nine deep, Atlanta is again showing signs of promise.

The Hawks beat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 134-132 in overtime Friday night for their sixth straight victory — Atlanta's longest winning streak in nearly three years.

“The challenge of this is don’t get comfortable,” said Young, who hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 7.4 seconds remaining. “It’s easy to get comfortable after you win a few games and feel good about yourself.”

Young had a huge night with 31 points and 20 assists, helping offset a 39-point performance by LeBron James and 38 points from Anthony Davis.

But the big key to the Hawks' recent success — which includes earning a spot in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup — has been those around Young.

Seven Hawks were in double figures against the Lakers, including three players coming off the bench. Former starter De'Andre Hunter has settled comfortably into a sixth-man role since returning from an ailing knee, scoring 26 points and drawing a double team that freed up Young for the winning 3.

“This wasn’t the first night that it’s been like this,” Young pointed out. "Even in some of our losses, we had a lot of guys scoring, so we've just gotta keep it going. Now that we've got guys healthy, we've found a little rhythm.”

After Hunter went down in the opening week of the season, the Hawks moved No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher into the starting lineup.

While the 19-year-old Frenchmen is still a work in progress, bringing Hunter off the bench is working out just fine. He is averaging more than 19 points a game while continuing to be one of the team's best players at the defensive end.

Then there's Dyson Daniels, who was acquired in a blockbuster trade that sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans Pelicans and seemed a sign that the Hawks were going into rebuilding mode.

While Daniels didn't do much during his time in the Big Easy, the 6-foot-8 guard with lanky arms that make him seem even taller, has give the Hawks another defensive stopper. He came up with two huge plays in the waning seconds of overtime, starting with a steal on a lazy bounce pass from Davis to James.

That one didn't produce points, as James hustled back to make a soaring block on Daniels driving to the hoop, giving the ball back to the Lakers.

But Daniels wasn't done. He helped tie up the taller Davis for a jump ball, and the Hawks wound up with one last shot when James tipped the ball out of bounds while scrambling with Hunter for possession,

Young made the Lakers pay.

“It's just effort," Hunter said. “That's what Dyson does. That's how he plays. I feel like I play the same way. At the end of the game, we need some plays, defensive plays, and me and Dyson being the premier defensive guys on the team, we have to make those plays.”

The Hawks still must prove this recent surge isn't just another tease.

“The challenge for us going forward,” Young said, “is how do we continue to do what we’ve been doing and getting stops and letting the offensive side take care of itself and play through each other?”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) fouls Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) celebrates after scoring in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) walks off the court after an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) reacts after scoring in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) stops Los Angeles Lakers guard Max Christie (12) from scoring in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) celebrates after he scores, winning an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)