- Hoeneß: curbing the 'explosion of competition'
Uli Hoeneß has slammed the bloating of the football calendar. "It can't go on like this, this accumulation of competitions must be stopped. Sensible people in this business, and that includes many big clubs, think alike. At some point, enough is enough," said the honorary president of FC Bayern Munich at a sponsor event with the Ehrmann dairy company in Rottach-Egern, referring to a dinner with representatives of Champions League winners Real Madrid.
"What some functionaries at UEFA or FIFA are planning is madness. It won't make the sport better, but worse, with players getting injured more often and becoming less performance-ready, and eventually interest will wane. If you have highlights every third day, it's no longer interesting," Hoeneß said. "We will do everything to contain this explosion of competitions and not push them further."
For instance, this season the number of teams in the Champions League is being increased by four to 36, resulting in more matches and higher revenues for UEFA. Additionally, the new Club World Cup in 2025 will be held for the first time with 32 teams and a total of 63 matches in the USA.
Uli Hoeneß criticized the plans of some officials at UEFA, stating that their proposals for expanding competitions are unwarranted and could negatively impact the sport. The increase in the number of teams in the Champions League to 36 this season, as well as the introduction of a 32-team Club World Cup in 2025, were specific examples Hoeneß cited as contributing to the accumulation of competitions and putting undue pressure on players.
