‘You’re killing the game’ - Premier League joins threat to pull out of FIFA Club World Cup

The best leagues and player unions in football have agreed to tell Fifa, "You're killing the game. We will not play in your Club World Cup."

The boycott threat has been led by Richard Masters, the Premier League's chief executive, Maheta Molango, the PFA's boss, and La Liga president Javier Tebas.

They promised to take legal action if the 32-team event is still the same, which saw holders Manchester City and Chelsea play in the USA in the summer.

The concern for player's welfare has been questioned for a while, leading to the campaign against the FIFA Club World Cup tournament.

Fifa officials have dismissed concerns in the past about player welfare, but Molango stated, as the Sun reported, "Football is killing its own product. Those who run the game need to listen.

"If they don’t, then as unions we have a responsibility to the players to take action — and the legal route is the next step.

"The governing bodies have had every chance to meaningfully engage with us on this, but they have failed to do so.

"Current player workloads are unsustainable. People are realising the amount of games being pushed into the fixture calendar just don’t fit."

The PFA and the international players' union FifPro feel that due to timing, clubs will be forced to call their stars back into action without the required minimum three-week rest spelt out in every professional contract.

Legal documentation for Fifa are now expected to be prepared by lawyers, barring a U-turn.