Liverpool will soon have a problem which will be exacerbated by FIFA and others. Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have spoken their minds and now the Premier League CEO agrees.
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has spoken about the demanding nature of the football calendar, especially for clubs like Liverpool who compete in multiple competitions.
The workload of players who also represent their national teams has increased significantly in recent years. During the 2021/22 season, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk each played an incredible 51 games and took to the pitch a total of 8,635 minutes. With the introduction of new tournaments and an expanded World Cup, the physical demands on players will increase even further. From the 2024/25 season, UEFA will introduce the new \’Swiss model\’ for the Champions League, which will result in additional matches.
While this will bring financial benefits to clubs, it will also increase the physical strain on players. In addition, FIFA plans to launch a revamped 32-team Club World Cup in 2025, played every four years.
In addition to 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 increasingly busy, leaving little room for rest and relaxation.
Premier League CEO Richard Masters told Front Office Sports: “There is a risk as the schedule changes. Therefore the international match schedule, which is one of the industry’s staples , is mainly managed by FIFA, which regulates the international truce, the organization of world cups and international tournaments.
“From 2024/25 you will see more Champions League games in the new Swiss system which is being introduced. The Premier League remains the same, it’s 380 games and has been since 1994.” We are not increasing, but the demands of this high level of players are increasing and I think they are basically at the limit.
“We have to protect our players and ensure that there is a balance between domestic football and international football or regional football, in the case of our clubs, European football.”
“We are seeing quite a lot of growth. The 2026 World Cup will last a bit longer because the number of participating teams has increased and of course the 2025 Club World Cup is a brand new concept. To be honest, if two clubs of the Premier League reach a final and that ends in July, I don’t know how they will face each other at the start of the Premier League season. “You can see how challenging it is and everyone has to do their part in being in charge of the calendar, protecting the players and making sure everything goes well.”
The masters’ comments come at a time when discussions about player programming and workloads are becoming increasingly important. Managers such as Klopp and Pep Guardiola have been critical of Premier League planning in the past, calling for greater attention to player welfare.
