Premier League: Football heading towards ‘saturation point’ says Richard Masters

Masters said the legal action was not just about Fifa’s plans for an expanded Club World Cup and more about the impact its scheduling could have on existing competitions.

He added: “If our clubs get to the final of those competitions, what sort of teams are they going to be able to field at the start of the Premier League season when we have an obligation to the players to give them three weeks’ rest, which they won’t get?

“In the end, it doesn’t add up, so a new accommodation has to be reached. The Club World Cup is a relevant competition that should be able to develop in its own way, but not at the expense of other people’s competitions.”

Masters also defended suggestions the Premier League’s own pre-season initiatives, such as the Summer Series in the United States, have added to the problem.

He said: “Pre-season is about coming back. I believe [the matches] are protective to the players in the sense that if you want to walk over the white line on Saturday in a Premier League match, you’ve got to be physically on point. You cannot be unfit.

“Therefore, a pre-season is required, with matches in it. Obviously, we try and make that pre-season part of the show and part of the promotion. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”