The international football break is over, and domestic football will resume within a week as the Premier League, La Liga, and other leagues resume their weekend matches.
On top of that, European clubs will also compete in UEFA competitions such as the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League in a few weeks, adding to an already lengthy spell of matches for players around the world.
It is because of this packed schedule that teams tend to lose their important players at crucial stages of the season, which can eventually cost them the title as well.
Thierry Henry voices concern over ‘too many games’ for players
Former Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry has voiced his concerns about the demanding season players have to endure nowadays.
“Too many games. Too many games. As an ex-player, I don’t know how those guys do it. As a pundit, I love it. But as an ex-player and as a coach, it’s too many games,” said Henry.
He also mentioned Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham, who played 49 matches last season and is currently sidelined with an injury.
“Bellingham is already injured. It’s tough to play a season and then go to the Euros and come back and play for the national team. Games left and right and then a Fifa club tournament at the end of the season. So as much as I want to see AC Milan vs. Liverpool and I want to see Manchester City vs. Inter, I want to see the best players on the field being able to perform whenever they can. That’s also part of the product, having the best players on the field still being able to perform all the time. So yes, it is outstanding for us, but if I were a coach, I don’t know if I would find it outstanding. There are a lot of games,” he added.
Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva speak up against busy schedule
As far as the Premier League is concerned, Manchester City players Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva have also voiced their concerns about the busy schedule, noting that players often play a game every 3 or 4 days, leaving little time for proper recovery.
“The real problem will emerge after the Club World Cup… We know there will be only three weeks between the Club World Cup final and the first Premier League match. So, we have three weeks to rest and prepare for another 80 matches,” said De Bruyne, criticising UEFA and Fifa.
“The issue is that UEFA and Fifa keep adding extra matches, and we can raise concerns, but no solutions have been found. It seems that money speaks louder than the players’ voices,” he added.
Bernardo Silva described the schedule as ‘completely crazy,’ as Manchester City face Arsenal and Watford within a span of just 3 days.
“I think there are two completely different issues here. When the players complain, people say that players can’t complain about the life they have. And they’re right because we’re fulfilling a dream and doing what we do. On the other hand, the schedule is completely crazy. We’ve just received the news that we only have one day off before the English League Cup game. We play Arsenal, we rest for a day, and then we have the game against Watford.”
First Published: Sep 12 2024 | 5:11 PM IS