SM
Greece vs. England: 16 hrs 44 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Jose Mourinho "totally in favour" of 48-team World Cup

:Headline: Jose Mourinho 'totally in favour' of 48-team World Cup: ID:288847: from db_amp
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho comes out in favour of a 48-team World Cup, believing that an expanded tournament would be beneficial for football.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has come out in support of plans to expand the World Cup to 48 countries.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino wants to enlarge the tournament, but many of Europe's leading clubs remain opposed to plans to expand the World Cup beyond 32 teams.

Mourinho, however, believes that an expanded competition would develop the sport in countries and areas lacking strong footballing foundations.

"I'm totally in favour. As a club manager, if the expansion meant more games, less holidays and less pre-season for players, I would say no," the Portuguese coach told FIFA's official website.

"It's important for critics to analyse and understand that expansion doesn't mean more matches. Players are protected and clubs are protected in this way. Teams with less potential and experience will probably play two matches and go home.

"But they would do so having improved and gained experience on the pitch, which would be added to the economic rewards of appearing at the finals - including further investment in their footballing infrastructure.

"The expansion means that the World Cup will be even more of an incredible social event. More countries, more investment in different countries in infrastructure, in youth football."

A decision will be made by FIFA later this month, but any change to the World Cup's current 32-team format is unlikely to come in before 2026.

amp_article__288847 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2017-01-06 14:09:30:
html db last update - 2017-01-06 14:09:30 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Jose Mourinho

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City117222213923
3Chelsea115422113819
4Arsenal115421812619
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest115421510519
6Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton115421915419
7Fulham115331613318
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
9Aston Villa115331717018
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1151523131016
11Brentford115152222016
12Bournemouth114341515015
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Leicester CityLeicester112451421-710
16Everton112451017-710
17Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
18Crystal Palace11146815-77
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves111371627-116
20Southampton11119721-144
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .