The chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), Maheta Molango, has expressed his concern about the football league’s packed schedule. He feels it’s endangering the players’ health and ‘killing the product’.
According to Football London, Molango echoed the views of numerous managers in the men’s and women’s divisions, citing as an example Kevin De Bruyne’s injury sustained during Manchester City’s 2023 Champions League final victory.
It comes after Sarina Wiegman, the England Lionesses manager, recently urged regulatory bodies to strike a better balance so that players can get enough rest.
Mikel Arteta demanded earlier this month that the Premier League should refrain from scheduling Wednesday through Saturday lunchtime turnarounds. And grant top-tier matches the same consideration as Champions League away games. The Gunners boss had previously expressed disapproval of the scheduling of fixtures.
At the Financial Times Business of Football Summit, Molango addressed the matter. He stated: “(De Bruyne going off) is surely not what we want to see. The Champions League final is supposed to be our Super Bowl.
“It wasn’t because one of the best players in the world, De Bruyne, was out in the 30th minute; (Erling) Haaland was exhausted; Rodri, who is a top athlete, said after 60 minutes he had cramps.
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“For us, we’ve reached a stage where it is not just about the health of the player. It is about us killing the product.”
FIFA’s expanded plans for the Club World Cup, which will feature 32 teams and debut the following summer along with an expanded Champions League, have also drawn criticism from the PFA chief in the past.
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