"An Exhaustion With the Situation": World Goalkeeper Alisson Criticizes Football Administrators
In the evening, the Champions League embarks on a new chapter: New structure, more matches. However, elite footballers aren't ecstatic about the change. World-class shot-stopper Alisson Becker from English powerhouse FC Liverpool has some candid views.
As one of the top-tier players, Alisson Becker, representing English powerhouse FC Liverpool, has expressed his concerns about the escalating workload in elite football. "Perhaps our opinions aren't valued, but everyone knows our sentiments towards more matches: Everyone is exhausted," the Brazilian national goalkeeper stated before Liverpool's Champions League debut against Italian runners-up AC Milan on Tuesday (9 pm/DAZN and live score update on ntv.de).
Football professionals, according to the 31-year-old, "aren't dumb." Before the inception of the reformed Champions League with a surplus of matches, he said, "We get that people desire more games, but it'd be fair if everyone involved (...) and those responsible for designing the schedule would engage in dialogue with everyone involved, including the players." The ones who are worn out, he pointed out, "can't keep up at a high level." The 2019 World's Best Goalkeeper further lamented, "Right now, it doesn't seem like we're edging closer to a solution, in the interest of football and its players."
Even shortly following the announcement of the changes in 2021, when the idea of a Super League by 12 European top clubs was quashed with much fanfare, there were fierce critiques of the new plans: "With all the Super League nonsense... can we also discuss the revised Champions League format? More and more and more games, don't they ever think about us players anymore?", Ilkay Guendogan wrote on Twitter as early as April 2021. "The revised Champions League format is the lesser evil compared to the Super League."
UEFA adds 64 additional matches to the previous 125 Champions League matches per season. Consequently, the planning calendar of the German Football League (DFL) only showcases English weeks until Christmas, and during summer, the jumbo-sized Club World Cup is slated to debut in the USA. A total of 32 teams will participate, with 63 games scheduled from June 15 to July 13.
Alisson Becker, expressing his concerns as a champion footballer from FC Liverpool, suggested that a dialogue should be held with players about the increased number of matches in the revised Champions League format. Despite the desire for more games, he noted that players are exhausted and finding it hard to maintain high performance levels.
The new Champions League structure, with its addition of 64 extra matches, has led to a heavy workload for elite footballers, according to FC Liverpool's Alisson Becker. He highlighted the need for consideration of the players' well-being in the scheduling decisions, as many are struggling to keep up at their best.
