Daniela Porcelli / SPP
European women’s clubs “will seek to strictly adhere to the mandatory release period” for players heading to the World Cup this summer, the latest public tension point in a global fight between clubs and national teams that has left players in the crosshairs.
The European Clubs Association, which represents clubs across the continent, issued a statement on Wednesday declaring that international players from its member clubs will be released to their national teams for World Cup duties on July 10, when the official FIFA window begins. Many World Cup participants have already planned training camps and friendly matches for throughout June, since Europe’s top leagues are all scheduled to end on the final weekend of May.
“The issue of early call-ups is a hangover from the game in its amateur form and is detrimental to the future success and growth of women’s football,” Claire Bloomfield, the European Club Association’s head of women’s football, said in a statement. “They also generate a…
