Ederson clears, just - The Athletic

Arsene Wenger has defended the expanded FIFA Club World Cup and pushed back against widespread criticism that it will increase the risk of player injuries.

Former Arsenal manager Wenger, who is FIFA’s chief of global development, also believes the new format, which will see 32 teams compete every four years, matches a demand for better tournaments.

He said: “I accept that the football calendar is a busy one, but this is a competition that is going to take place every four years and of course the rest period during the competition and afterwards has to be respected.

“The welfare of the players in the last 20 years has increased dramatically as well, when you look at injury prevention, recovery work, nutrition and advances in medical technology.

“It is unrecognisable from what it used to be. Also VAR has helped with the protection of players, as players know they cannot escape from making bad tackles that cause injury. So, overall, there has been huge improvements on the welfare side, and we want to continue with that progress.”