Midfielder Frankie De Jong has criticized UEFA just wanting to make more money when the schedule is too tight.
Frenkie De Jong is not satisfied with UEFA’s tight schedule
The 2022-23 season of European football has ended after the Champions League final between Man City and Inter Milan. Now is the time for the players to focus on the EURO 2024 qualifying matches and the rest of the Nations League.
Many players are probably exhausted after a long season, including Frankie De Jong, who will join the Netherlands in the Nations League semi-final against Croatia on June 15. Sharing on De Telegraaf, the Barca midfielder criticized the European Football Federation (UEFA) about the new formats of the Nations League and the Champions League.
“Our schedule is getting more and more crowded. In the Nations League, there will be one more match for 3rd and 4th place. Honestly, no one is watching this match.
In addition, the Champions League will soon change its format. There will be more matches and it’s all for UEFA to make money,” the Dutch midfielder said.
Frenkie De Jong played 48 games for Barca and the Netherlands last season. Consisting of 5 matches in the 2022 World Cup, the tournament appeared mid-season and eroded many players’ fitness. In addition, the 26-year-old midfielder is concerned that the new format of the Champions League will cause clubs to play more.
Specifically, the Champions League from the 2024-25 season will include 36 teams. A team that wants to win the championship will have to play 17 matches, 4 more matches than the old format. Besides the Champions League, the World Cup will also increase the number of participating teams from 32 to 48, starting in 2026.
Previously, Pep Guardiola also expressed concern about the tight schedule. Speaking after winning the Champions League with Man City, the Spaniard said: “We need to rest. The season has been too long, but the players have to participate in international matches. UEFA and FIFA, think about that.
The Premier League just ended a few weeks ago, but the players have to return from now on. They really have to play too much.”
Last year, Pep’s student Kevin De Bruyne also criticized the Nations League and said that this first tournament is not important for countries to try to win. Instead, teams should let players rest after a long season.
