According to the Mirror, the football world has been all ears, after the Manchester City star’s criticism of UEFA and FIFA. Manchester City and Belgium’s star midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne, is unhappy with Manchester City’s schedule this season.
UEFA have implemented a new format for the Champions League this season. Fans will watch a whooping 144 games before the knockout phase of the tournament. The increase in the number of games will also result in a tighter schedule for the clubs and the players. De Bruyne blamed UEFA for prioritizing their commercial and financial interests over the health of players.
This has sparked a debate among football experts and fans over the well-being of the players. Manchester City have an intense calendar for the upcoming season. The English club will participate in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Champions League, alongside the ongoing Premier League matches. Moreover, City players leave for international duties more than twice a season, which adds to the busy schedule.
Kevin De Bruyne’s comments show the growing dissatisfaction of the players by the lack of concern shown by the higher authorities. The modern game requires the players to have proper rest and recovery time to stay in peak condition. However, players are not getting proper time to rest.
Kevin De Bruyne’s teammate agrees with the Belgian’s comments
Another Manchester City star, Bernardo Silva, shares similar concerns regarding the health of the players. According to Silva, all football players are living their dream life of playing football while earning big money for their families. However, the Portuguese midfielder did not hold back calling out the current schedule “wild” for the players. The recovery time provided between the matches has become a problem for the players, especially during the season when players have to play 8-10 matches in a month.
Silva also talked about the personal problems faced by the players during the season. The tough schedule makes it difficult for players to spend time with their friends and family. The emotional toll on the players who live far from their families is too much. This becomes a problem as the players struggle to maintain a healthy balance of their personal and professional lives. Professional footballers earn high wages for their efforts, however, the physical demands of the game can be too much. This is not just a concern for these two players, but for the sport as a whole.
The New Champions League format brings more problems
According to the new Champions League format, the clubs will play four matches at home and four matches away to qualify for the knockout stages. The clubs that do not qualify for the knockout stages will still need to play all the games. This extension means clubs that manage to secure early qualification will still need to play additional matches in the tournament. This puts smaller clubs, with a weaker squad depth, at an instant disadvantage. The new Champions League format guarantees more matches and revenue for the UEFA. However, this comes at the expense of the players’ fitness and health.
Comments of Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva should be a wake-up call for the clubs and fans to unite against this system. UEFA should try to find ways to reduce the burden on the players. There should be a better structure for the Champions League and other tournaments to limit the number of games. Players should also get proper recovery time between games to reduce the risk of injuries. The football world united before to discard the idea of the Super League by Real Madrid’s, owner Florentino Perez. This is another opportunity to save the sport from turning into a business.
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