Liverpool will soon have a problem exacerbated by FIFA and others. Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have been vocal, and now the Premier League CEO agrees.
Reds manager Jürgen Klopp has been vocal about the demanding nature of the football calendar, especially for clubs like Liverpool that compete in multiple competitions.
The workload on players, who also represent their national teams, has increased significantly in recent years. In the 2021/22 season, Liverpool players Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk played a staggering 51 games each, accumulating a total of 8,635 minutes on the pitch.
With the introduction of new tournaments and an expanded World Cup, the physical demands on players are set to increase even further. From the 2024/25 season, UEFA will implement the new ‘Swiss Model’ for the Champions League, which will result in additional games.
Alongside these tournaments, there are pre-season competitions and regional international tournaments such as the European Championships and the African Cup of Nations. The football calendar is becoming increasingly congested, leaving little room for rest and recovery.
Premier League CEO Richard Masters told Front Office Sports: “There is a risk because the calendar is changing. So, the international match calendar, which is one of the raw materials of the industry, is at its top governed by FIFA who govern the international break, when World Cups are held and when international tournaments happen.
“From 2024/25 you are going to see more Champions League matches in the new Swiss system which is coming in. The Premier League is staying the same, it’s 380 games and it has been since 1994. We’re not growing, but the demands on that top strata of players is growing and I think basically they are maxed out.
“We have to protect our players and we have to ensure that the balance between domestic football and international football, or regional football, European football in the case of our clubs, is maintained.
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