A Premier League chief has stated that the upcoming 2025 FIFA Club World Cup has been "imposed" on them, clarifying the organisation's stance.
The EPL has taken a firm stance against FIFA's expanded CWC, with league officials refusing to grant Manchester City and Chelsea a delayed start to the 2025/26 season.
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Both English clubs are set to compete in the inaugural 32-team tournament in the United States, running from 14 June to 13 July.
However, Premier League chief football officer Tony Scholes has made it clear that they will not be making any scheduling concessions for the tournament, which he believes has been forced upon them.
We're having this imposed upon us, particularly by FIFA," Scholes stated per the Daily Mail.
"So there's an element saying, why would we be adjusting our competition when they've imposed a competition that we don't agree with?"
The fixture congestion in English football remains a major issue, and Scholes stressed that the domestic calendar simply cannot accommodate any changes.
"The more significant element, though, is we simply can't," he continued.
"The calendar is squeezed as much as it can be at the moment. And we can't afford to delay it until the start of the season."
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Meanwhile, the tournament will also feature African sides. They include the likes of Al Ahly, Tunisian giants ES Tunis, Morocco's Wydad AC and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa.