Top European leagues and players' union FIFPRO have launched legal action against FIFA, accusing the governing body of abusing its dominant position and harming player welfare by oversaturating the calendar.

The European Leagues – a body representing 39 leagues including the Premier League – has filed a complaint to the European Union's antitrust regulators.

The move comes amid controversy regarding the calendar, with the first edition of FIFA's expanded Club World Cup set to take place in the United States next year.

Last month, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti suggested the European champions could boycott the competition, only for Los Blancos to subsequently confirm their participation in a statement.

FIFPRO launched legal action against FIFA at the Brussels court of commence in the ensuing days, claiming the decision to schedule the Club World Cup had violated players' rights.

The union has now joined a number of leagues in taking the issue to EU lawmakers, with a joint statement reading: "The international match calendar is now beyond saturation and has become unsustainable for national leagues and a risk for the health of players.

"FIFA's decisions over the last years have repeatedly favoured its own competitions and commercial interests, neglected its responsibilities as a governing body, and harmed the economic interests of national leagues and the welfare of players.

"National leagues and player unions, which represent the interests of all clubs and all players at the national level and regulate labour relations through collectively agreed solutions, cannot accept that global regulations are decided unilaterally.

"Legal action is now the only responsible step for European leagues and player unions to protect football, its ecosystem and workforce from FIFA's unilateral decisions."

Madrid and Manchester City are among 12 European clubs to have booked a spot at the first 32-team Club World Cup, due to their recent Champions League successes.

Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter and Juventus will also feature, with most qualifiers being determined by a ranking system that awards points for victories in the Champions League.

Inter have confirmed the signing of Mehdi Taremi on a three-year contract following his departure from Porto.

The deal between Inter and the striker, who left Portugal after seeing out the end of his contract, was reached earlier this year, and was confirmed after he completed his medical.

Taremi made 182 appearances for Porto after joining in 2020, scoring 91 goals in all competitions.

The Iran international enjoyed a distinguished four-year spell at the club, winning the Primeira Liga, two Portuguese Super Cups, three Portuguese Cups and the Portuguese League Cup.

Speaking to the club website, he said: "I am very happy to be here today, it is a dream come true for me. I feel good and I am very happy. I have to say that this is the happiest moment of my life."

Taremi is the third player to move to San Siro so far this transfer window, joining Piotr Zielinski and Josep Martinez at the club.

Simone Inzaghi has committed his future to Inter by signing a new contract extension to run through to the end of the 2025-26 season.

Inzaghi led Inter to a dominant Serie A title win last term, the Nerazzurri finishing 19 points clear of rivals Milan as they clinched the Scudetto for the first time since 2020-21.

One season earlier, Inzaghi masterminded Inter's run to a first Champions League final since they won the trophy in 2010, only for Manchester City to beat them 1-0 in Istanbul.

Inzaghi has been tentatively linked with Premier League jobs throughout his three-year spell at San Siro, but he has now signed on for another two years with the Italian giants.

Inzaghi's previous deal had been due to expire at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

Inter president Giuseppe Marotta told the club's website: "Today, we begin a new journey together, our jersey will be embellished with the tricolour and the legendary second star, which we will carry with us for years to come.

"We will still have coach Simone Inzaghi with us. It is with great pleasure that I want to inform you that our relationship with Simone will continue until 2026, with the hope of continuing it even further."

Inzaghi has won six trophies with Inter overall, also leading them to back-to-back Coppa Italia triumphs in 2021-22 and 2022-23, as well as winning the last three editions of the Supercoppa Italiana.

He has won 104 of his 158 games in charge of the Nerazzurri overall, with the team scoring 311 goals under him.

Since Serie A first adopted a league format in 1929, only three other coaches have managed 100 victories in charge of Inter – Helenio Herrera (205), Roberto Mancini (176) and Giovanni Trapattoni (124).

Nicolo Barella has ended speculation surrounding his future by signing a new deal with Inter.

The Italy midfielder, whose existing contract was due to expire in June 2026, has put pen to paper on fresh terms, keeping him with the Nerazzurri until 2029.

Barella had been linked with a move away from San Siro, with Premier League sides Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United reportedly interested in securing his services.

The 27-year-old has made 235 appearances for Inter since arriving from Cagliari on an initial loan deal in July 2019, helping the club win two Serie A and Coppa Italia titles, and the 2019-20 Europa League and 2022-23 Champions League finals. 

"Today, I am extremely happy and moved to extend my contract with Inter for a number of years," he told the club's official website.

"I have never had any doubts. I believe in this project and, most of all, I wanted to sign before the European tournament. I am truly proud to be able to keep fighting for the colours of this great club for years to come.

"My wish is to continue on the successful journey that the squad and coach have experienced in recent years. We want to keep growing and bring more joy to our fans.

"We have had unforgettable moments with them, and I am sure there will be many more. I cannot wait to go again in front of the wonderful Nerazzurri fans, all of us together for Inter."

Barella is currently on international duty with Italy, and is in a race to be fit for the reigning champions' Euro 2024 opener against Albania in Group B on Saturday.

The midfielder, who missed the Azzurri's final warm-up matches against Turkiye and Bosnia-Herzegovina with a muscle injury, trained separately from the rest of his team-mates on Tuesday.

However, head coach Luciano Spalletti expects him to be fit for Italy's European Championship bow in Dortmund.

Investment fund Oaktree Capital Management has taken ownership of Serie A champions Inter after a missed €395million payment from the club's majority shareholder.

Granted by Oaktree in 2021 to the Luxembourg-based vehicle through which Chinese conglomerate Suning 002024.SZ controlled Inter, the loan was guaranteed by a stake in the club.

That gave Oaktree, which specialises in providing rescue funding to struggling firms, the potential right to take control of the club in the event of a default.

"Oaktree is committed to working closely with Inter's current management team, partners, the league and governing bodies to ensure the club is positioned for success on and off the pitch," it said in a statement.

A person close to the matter said Oaktree, which has only limited previous involvement in sports franchises, was not planning to sell Inter immediately and was prepared to be a "patient investor."

The upheaval off the field contrasts with the club's success on it, with Inter having last month secured their 20th Serie A league title and the second under Suning's ownership.

There was no immediate comment from Suning, which bought a majority stake in the club in 2016 in one of the highest-profile forays by a Chinese business into European soccer.

Since then, Chinese authorities have imposed curbs over overseas spending in sport and Suning has been hit by the COVID-19 downturn.

That prompted Suning three years ago to get a €275m emergency financing package from Oaktree, which helped Inter to weather the pandemic crisis.

In a letter to fans published on the club's website on Saturday, Inter chairman Steven Zhang, the son of Suning's founder Zhang Jindong, warned the club's stability was at risk as attempts to find an agreement with Oaktree had failed.

Oaktree's move mirrors the takeover of Inter's rivals Milan by U.S. hedge fund Elliott Management in 2018.

Elliott took control of Milan after Chinese businessman Li Yonghong missed a payment to the club.

Clinical Inter returned to winning ways with a 5-0 thrashing of relegation-threatened Frosinone on Friday, and coach Simone Inzaghi admitted he had no questions left following his side's stellar performance.

Champions Inter stumbled to a 1-0 loss at relegation-battling Sassuolo last weekend but bounced back at Frosinone when five different players were on target to further hamper Frosinone's hopes of steering away from the relegation zone.

"I got the answers I wanted even though there was no need [for them]," Inzaghi told a press conference.

"A lot of guys who have played less answered and even contributed with a goal, I'm thinking about [Tajon] Buchanan and [Marko] Arnautovic.

"Important answers also came from [Kristjan] Asllani, who has grown a lot and has also played parts in important games."

Inter, who remained on track to beat the club record of 97 points set in the 2006-07 season, have also equalled the 15 away wins recorded in that season and maintained their 10th clean sheet, previously seen in 2007-08.

"I have a club that has been working for some time to ensure that the team improves because we always have to grow," Inzaghi said when asked if the team would be able to keep up the pace next season.

"Now we have two matches in which we will do our best, and then we will think about next season.

"The celebration? What our fans did to us will always remain within each of us. It's the shield of joy. I will always thank the fans."

Inzaghi is set to remain at Inter, with Italian media reporting he has already agreed to a new deal which puts him at the helm of the club beyond 2025.

He added: "You know what relationship I have with the club. We will all sit down and talk, but we are already in contact every day."

Champions Inter Milan hammered relegation-battling Frosinone 5-0 in Serie A on Friday, with Simone Inzaghi's side securing their biggest winning margin this season.

Davide Frattesi opened the scoring for Inter in the 19th minute, sending the ball in with his knee from a Marcus Thuram pass, which deflected off one of Frosinone's defenders.

Marko Arnautovic doubled the lead for Inter at the hour mark with a low first-time finish into the middle of the goal and Tajon Buchanan made it 3-0 with his debut Inter goal, before substitute Lautaro Martinez and Thuram sealed the win.

Inter, who on Saturday suffered their second league defeat of the campaign when they were beaten 1-0 by second-from-bottom Sassuolo, also maintained their chances to beat the club record of 97 points set in the 2006-07 season.

Currently on 92 points, they next host Lazio on May 19 before ending the season at lowly Hellas Verona.

Frosinone sit 17th on 32 points with two points separating them from the relegation zone before 18th-placed Udinese travel to Lecce on Monday.

Data Debrief: Goals, goals, goals

Inter scored three goals in the final 15 minutes of the match - the Nerazzurri have now scored 21 goals in that period this season, more than any other team in the league.

With this win, the Nerazzurri have now won 4600 points in Serie A (since 1929-30), becoming only the second team to reach this milestone in the competition's history after Juventus.

Inter suffered only their second defeat in Serie A this season as a first-half goal by Armand Lauriente gave relegation-threatened Sassuolo a crucial 1-0 victory.

Sassuolo have a unique hold over Simone Inzaghi's side this season, as the only team to beat Inter in the league, having secured a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture in September.

The result was a big boost in Sassuolo's battle against relegation, as they sit second from bottom on 29 points, with only three points between them and Cagliari in 14th place.

Lauriente got the only goal of the match after 20 minutes when Josh Doig managed to wrestle the ball back from Denzel Dumfries near the corner flag and pulled it back, with Sassuolo's matchwinner on hand to slot into the net from close range.

Data Debrief: Long time coming

This was the first time Inter have lost a league match against a team in the bottom two of the standings since way back in November 2014. On that occasion, they went down 2-0 to Parma.

Lauriente, meanwhile, has scored four Serie A goals since the beginning of April, a joint-record in the period in the top-flight (level with Hakan Calhanoglu).

Inter Milan remain 14 points clear atop Serie A after twice being pegged back in a 2-2 draw at home to Cagliari.

After closest challengers AC Milan drew 3-3 at Sassuolo earlier on, Inter could have moved 16 points ahead with six fixtures left and they led at the interval courtesy of Marcus Thuram’s early strike.

Eldor Shomurodov drew Cagliari level and while Hakan Calhanoglu put Inter back ahead from the spot, Nicolas Viola made sure of a point apiece with his 82nd-minute strike from close range.

The stalemate might just be a mere hiccup for Inter, who can seal a first Scudetto in three years by beating city rivals Milan next Monday although twice squandering one-goal leads will doubtless frustrate head coach Simone Inzaghi.

The hosts started brightly as Nicolo Barella had an early sight at goal which Simone Scuffet did well to push away before Cagliari’s defence scrambled to snuff out Thuram from latching on to the rebound.

But the visiting backline was split open as Matteo Darmian slid through to Alexis Sanchez, who hared to keep the ball in play and his cutback was tucked away by the onrushing Thuram after 12 minutes.

Zito Luvumbo made a nuisance of himself with a shot at Yann Sommer before chipping over while, at the other end, Inter were denied by the offside flag after Barella had headed past Scuffet.

The Cagliari goalkeeper was alert to paw away Calhanoglu’s long-range free-kick just after the hour mark, which proved crucial as the visitors drew level a few moments later.

A speculative long ball forward from Adam Obert was brought down by Luvumbo with his knee and led to Shomurodov lashing low beyond Sommer from the edge of the area in the 64th minute.

The equaliser spurred Inter into action and they had a golden opportunity to retake the lead when Davide Frattesi’s header hit the outstretched hand of Yerry Mina.

While the Colombian defender protested his innocence after the penalty was awarded, the decision stood and Calhanoglu directed his 74th-minute spot-kick beyond Scuffet, who guessed the right way and got fingertips to the ball but not enough to stop it from hitting the back of the net.

But it was Cagliari who had the final say as Inter half cleared a cross and Matteo Prati’s header back into the area ricocheted off fellow substitute Gianluca Lapadula, with Viola drilling low beyond Sommer.

Viola might have nicked it at the death as Cagliari hit Inter on the counter but his header was straight at Sommer and the spoils were shared.

Inter Milan go in search of the first of successive wins they need to wrap up the Serie A title on Sunday.

Cagliari are the visitors to San Siro and victory will mean Simone Inzaghi’s men can wrap up their first Scudetto in three years with a three-point return against their city rivals AC Milan in their following match on April 22.

Inter maintained their 14-point advantage over second-placed Milan on Monday, with Davide Frattesi’s late winner completing a come-from-behind victory at an Udinese side who had won just once at home all season.

Inzaghi had an eye on the remaining seven fixtures after that match when he said: “We’re playing clubs fighting against relegation or for the top spots… We can’t let our concentration slip.”

The Nerazzurri have won 12 and drawn one of their 13 matches since the turn of the year and have been beaten only once in the competition since the start of the season – a shock home loss to struggling Sassuolo in September the only blemish in an impressive campaign.

However, the leaders, who have scored in every match, will be without top goalscorer Lautaro Martinez against Cagliari because of suspension.

The Sardinians’ knack of picking up points from losing positions has aided their bid for survival.

Ten points from their last five matches have lifted Cagliari four points clear of the relegation zone as they bid to avoid an immediate return to the second tier of Italian football.

The last time they won this contest was in 2016 as two goals in the final 19 minutes turned the contest on its head against an Inter side who finished fourth, a distant 24 points behind champions Juventus.

However, Claudio Ranieri’s team are not at their best away from home in the current campaign.

They have picked up just seven points from their 15 games and netted a league-low nine goals on their travels.

Inter Milan can take another huge step towards sealing the Serie A title when they face Udinese on Monday.

Simone Inzaghi’s side watched nearest rivals AC Milan cruise to victory over Lecce on Saturday to secure a fifth straight win.

But Inter have not blinked in the title race and can restore their 14-point lead by securing a 25th game unbeaten.

They appear set to have to do so without two of their key defenders, with the club’s player of the month Alessandro Bastoni and fellow centre-back Stefan de Vrij repoertedly set to miss out through injury.

Udinese are just two points above the relegation zone and manager Gabriele Cioffi is under no illusion as to how difficult a task they face against the runaway league leaders.

“(I expect) 200 per cent from the players, because it is the only way to leave the field with the points we need to move away from the lower areas of the table,” Cioffi said at his pre-match press conference.

“(We knew) this would be a difficult season, although we always hope to win every match 3-0.

“I believe that these types of challenges are the beauty of working as a coach. Points must be won by everyone: by the players, by the staff and by the club.”

Former Aston Villa striker Keinan Davis is sidelined while Lorenzo Lucca is suspended.

Napoli defender Juan Jesus says it is “difficult to comprehend” the decision not to punish Inter Milan’s Francesco Acerbi over allegations of racism.

Brazilian Jesus accused Italy international Acerbi of an abusive comment relating to skin colour during a 1-1 draw between their clubs earlier this month.

But the case was dismissed by a Serie A sports judge on Tuesday due to a lack of evidence.

Jesus feels “very bitter” about the verdict and believes his complaint may have been treated differently if he had not responded “as a gentleman”.

“I have read several times and with great disappointment the decision of the sports judge, who felt there was no evidence that I was the victim of a racist,” said the 32-year-old in a lengthy statement released with his legal representatives.

“While respecting the decision, it is one I find difficult to comprehend and it leaves me feeling very bitter.

“Quite honestly I am crestfallen by such a serious incident in which my only mistake was that I dealt with it ‘as a gentleman’, deciding not to interrupt an important game, with all the inconvenience that would have caused the spectators watching the match.

“I did so believing that such an attitude would have been respected, and perhaps taken as an example.

“Following this decision, I imagine that anyone else finding themselves in a similar situation to mine will act in a very different manner, in order to protect themselves and to curb the disgrace of racism, which, sadly, we are struggling to rid ourselves of.”

According to Jesus, Acerbi apologised on the pitch before changing his version of events the following day.

The 36-year-old Inter player publicly protested his innocence but agreed to withdraw from Italy’s squad for games against Venezuela and Ecuador after discussing the matter with national team manager Luciano Spalletti.

Judge Gerardo Mastrandrea suggested Acerbi’s comments may have been offensive but could not determine whether they were of a racist nature.

Jesus fears the episode could “set a serious precedent for justifying certain behaviour after the event” but expressed hope it may help the football world reflect on the “serious and urgent” issue of racism.

“I really do not understand how ‘go away negro, you’re just a negro’ can be considered to be certainly offensive but not discriminatory,” continued Jesus’ statement.

“I do not understand all the commotion that evening if it really was ‘just an insult’, for which Acerbi himself felt the need to apologise, the referee decided to notify VAR, the match was suspended for over a minute and his team-mates hurried to speak to me.

“I cannot fathom why Acerbi only started to change his version of the events the following day while with the national team, instead of denying it immediately after the match, when it actually happened.

“I didn’t expect it to end like this. I fear – and I hope I am wrong – that this could set a serious precedent for justifying certain behaviour after the event.

“I sincerely hope that this sad matter can help the world of football to reflect on an issue that is both serious and urgent.”

Napoli say they find it “astonishing” that Italy defender Francesco Acerbi was not sanctioned over allegations of racism against their player Juan Jesus.

Inter Milan’s Acerbi was implicated by his opponent in the closing stages of a 1-1 draw earlier this month, with Jesus briefly pausing the match to report the matter to the referee.

But Acerbi will face no further action after defender Jesus’ claims were dismissed by a Serie A sports judge due to a lack of evidence.

In a statement, Napoli said: “The principle of the greatest likelihood of an event, which exists in sports justice and which appears clear from the dynamics of the incident and the apology offered on the pitch, simply vanishes in this judgement.

“We find it astonishing.

“If what happened on the pitch ‘is certainly compatible with the expression of offensive comments (…) by the Inter player, who does not deny that they were offensive and threatening,’ then why was Acerbi not sanctioned in any way?

“If, as the judgement itself reads, ‘there was certainly proof of an insult,’ why did the sports judge decide to take no action to punish the responsible party?

“We find that even more astonishing.

“Napoli will no longer take part in anti-racism and anti-discrimination initiatives run by football institutions that are merely symbolic, but we will continue to organise them ourselves, as we have always done, with renewed conviction and determination.”

Acerbi protested his innocence but agreed to withdraw from the national squad for this week’s games against Venezuela and Ecuador after discussing the matter with manager Luciano Spalletti.

Serie A sports judge Gerardo Mastrandrea considered the case against Acerbi, speaking to both men, others present on the pitch and also consulting recordings of the incident, but found insufficient proof to support Jesus’ own testimony.

Acerbi, who faced potentially serious sanctions had he been found guilty, has been cleared to turn out again for Inter when their league schedule resumes on April 1.

Mastrandrea’s ruling concluded: “In this case the minimum level of reasonable certainty regarding the discriminatory content of the offence committed is not reached.

“Without calling into question the good faith of the Napoli player, it appears to have been perceived only by ‘offended’ footballer without the support of any external evidence, be it audio, video or even testimonial.

“Discriminatory conduct, due to its intrinsic severity and intolerability, especially when it refers to the person’s race, skin colour or religion, must be sanctioned with the utmost severity in accordance with the Code of Sports Justice and the rules international sporting events.

“But it is nevertheless necessary that the imposition of such burdensome sanctions is correspondingly assisted by a minimum amount of evidence, or at least by serious, precise and consistent evidence in order to achieve reasonable certainty.”

Italy defender Francesco Acerbi will face no further action over allegations of racism against Napoli’s Juan Jesus, whose claims have been dismissed due to a lack of evidence.

The Inter Milan player was implicated by his opponent in the closing stages of a 1-1 draw earlier this month, with Jesus briefly pausing the match to report the matter to the referee.

Acerbi protested his innocence but agreed to withdraw from the national squad for this week’s games against Venezuela and Ecuador after discussing the matter with manager Luciano Spalletti.

Serie A sports judge Gerardo Mastrandrea considered the case against Acerbi, speaking to both men, others present on the pitch and also consulting recordings of the incident, but found insufficient proof to support Jesus’ own testimony.

Had he been found guilty, Acerbi faced potentially serious sanctions that could have included a lengthy ban and thrown his hopes of featuring in this summer’s European Championships into doubt. Instead, he has been cleared to turn out again for Inter when their league schedule resumes on April 1.

Mastrandrea’s ruling concluded: “In this case the minimum level of reasonable certainty regarding the discriminatory content of the offence committed is not reached.

“Without calling into question the good faith of the Napoli player, it appears to have been perceived only by ‘offended’ footballer without the support of any external evidence, be it audio, video or even testimonial.

“Discriminatory conduct, due to its intrinsic severity and intolerability, especially when it refers to the person’s race, skin colour or religion, must be sanctioned with the utmost severity in accordance with the Code of Sports Justice and the rules international sporting events.

“But it is nevertheless necessary that the imposition of such burdensome sanctions is correspondingly assisted by a minimum amount of evidence, or at least by serious, precise and consistent evidence in order to achieve reasonable certainty.”

Inter Milan and Napoli will both look to put Champions League disappointment behind them when they meet in Serie A on Sunday.

Napoli exited the competition in the last 16 on Tuesday, beaten 4-2 on aggregate by Barcelona, and a day later Inter lost out to Atletico Madrid on penalties following a 2-2 draw.

The result was a bitter pill to swallow for the runaway Serie A leaders, who were on a run of 13 consecutive victories in all competitions and had hoped to go one better than last season, when they were beaten in the Champions League final by Manchester City.

Inter went two up in the tie but Atletico fought back to level through Memphis Depay’s goal late in normal time and, after missed chances for Simone Inzaghi’s side in extra-time, they missed three of their five penalties, with Lautaro Martinez sending the final effort high over the bar.

Inter seem certain to lift silverware this season domestically, going into the weekend 16 points clear of nearest rivals AC Milan.

And Inzaghi said on the club website: “The lads have to be proud of what they’ve done. It’s normal to be disappointed, because it’s a shame when it comes down to penalties.

“Now we’ve got 10 Serie A matches we need to play well to try to reach that crucial goal of ours. We’ve got to try and recover physically and mentally to give it our best shot against the reigning champions. We’ll try and do our best.”

Napoli’s title defence has been distinctly underwhelming and they are sweating on the fitness of striker Victor Osimhen, who missed training for two days this week with a muscle problem.

They have not given up hope of forcing their way into the European places, with victory over Juventus earlier this month a much-needed boost, although they were then held at home by Torino.

Napoli are on their third manager of the season in Francesco Calzona, who was appointed until the end of the campaign last month and also holds the position of Slovakia coach.

He insisted he is not concerned about his future, saying on Sky Sports Italia: “Let’s think about the championship, there are many games and we have to cradle the dream of catching up with the teams that are ahead of us.

“It’s difficult, but mathematics doesn’t condemn us. As for me, my future is the last thing on my mind. The boys are working hard and giving me a lot, I think we’ve made a small step forward.”