The calendar is packed, players drained and Gareth Bale frustrated. On the fringes of the Nations League game against Belgium, the Welshman has now warned the Premier League against overloading the players in the coming season.
The players suffer: “It’s too much. Things obviously have to change. I think any player will tell you that it’s way too many games. In the long term, that will have consequences,” said Gareth Bale about the busy calendar in professional football. The comment was triggered by the hint to Bale that Kevin de Bruyne could play 79 games next year and then only have a three-week break.
Short, compact, clear
And with the players, the product: “People’s bodies can’t stand this kind of calendar year after year. Something has to change. You have to put the money aside and take care of the players’ well-being, because without the players there is no product,” Bale continued.
Even more games: However, such a turnaround is not foreseeable in the near future. FIFA recently suggested hosting the World Cup every two years. At the same time, the Champions League and the Club World Cup are to be expanded in the future.
