CNN
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It is an issue that is increasingly coming to the forefront of football’s agenda. “Is bigger always better?”
Concerns over player welfare, tug-of-war between club and country and conflicts over the direction of the game are more pressing than ever, as national, continental and international competitions compete for a place on a packed calendar. It has become a thing.
Just ask Thibaut Courtois.
The prestigious Real Madrid goalkeeper is one of those players who experiences the physical and mental demands of the game in real time.
He acknowledges that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. But he says one of the objections leveled at his profession must be firmly quelled.
“We have to stop using the excuse ‘you earn a lot’,” the Belgian told CNN after receiving the Player Career Award at the recent Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He told Sport’s Amanda Davis.
“You can make money with 10 fewer games. It’s not that there are too many games, but…I feel like the problem is not enough rest.”
Earlier this year, when the union representing soccer players launched a legal challenge to FIFA’s “unilateral” decision to set an international fixture schedule, specifically the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, The boiling point has been reached.
The association said the tournament, scheduled to be held in the United States from mid-June to mid-July next year, violates the players’ right to annual leave and violates the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (CFREU), which states that “no rights “It violates the law.” That’s a serious justification. ”
However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the calendar.
In his opening speech at the 74th FIFA General Assembly held in Bangkok in May this year, he claimed that world football’s governing body “finances football around the world”.
“The revenue we generate doesn’t just go to a few clubs in one country, it goes to 211 countries around the world. No other organization does something like this,” he added. Ta.
But does Courtois believe the organizers are listening to the players’ concerns?
“No, I don’t think so,” he says. “FIFPRO is trying to protect the players (…) but I don’t think other governing bodies are thinking about that.
“This Club World Cup has to exist, but it’s difficult to find the right way to get there. I think clubs want to help, but we’re all following the rules and following the calendar we’ve been given. ”
So what is a viable solution to the current calendar predicament? For Courtois, it’s not necessarily the number of games, but rather the gap between seasons.
An avid basketball fan himself, the 32-year-old sees the NBA as a potential reference point.
The world’s leading basketball leagues operate on grueling eight-month-a-year schedules (82 regular season games before the postseason, when teams can play a potential 28 games), but with significant He makes up for it with a rest period.
“I think (soccer) players don’t mind playing non-stop for nine months with proper preparation and load management,” he says.
“When you have two months off in the summer like in the NBA, you have a month to rest, a month to train, and people are ready to do a full nine months. If you don’t rest, all the injuries will pile up.
“This year it’s the Club World Cup, next year it’s the World Cup and the year after that it’s something else. So there’s no rest for the players.”
Indeed, Real Madrid’s goalkeeper is well aware of the damage that crowded match venues can cause.
The Belgian returned to action in March after nine months on the sidelines due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), but has since suffered a series of injuries.
He has also seen that kind of pressure put on his teammates at the club.
“Jude (Bellingham) and Dani (Carvajal) played until July 14th, then on August 1st they took part in Madrid training and on August 8th they played in the (UEFA) Super Cup. Even if you explain this to people in the NBA and NFL in the United States, they probably won’t understand.
“If you play in a team that plays once a week, you don’t understand this problem with the calendar because you have a game every Saturday and it’s the way you deal with it… But for us top players it’s different.
“The other day I laughed with (Federico) Valverde. I said: ‘My next vacation will be in 2027.’ Do you know how crazy that is!
When asked for comment by CNN, FIFA cited Infantino’s speech in Bangkok in May, saying, “FIFA hosts approximately 1% to 1% to 1% of the world’s top club matches. ” As for the national team, it’s very similar, that’s true.
“We increased the number of participants for the (FIFA) World Cup, but it’s still one month out of every 48 months,” he continued.
“So I hope that these numbers, which of course you guys can check and calculate, will show that we should probably stop this useless discussion, it’s really pointless, and , What we have to do and what we should focus on Our mission is to organize events and competitions and to develop football around the world, because 70% of FIFA member associations. We can’t play football without the resources directly provided to us.”
The Belgian goalkeeper also believes that the problem lies at international rather than club level, placing even more emphasis on the team’s precious rotation time in matches with consequences at each stage.
The European Championship will go from 16 teams to 24 teams in 2016, the AFC Asian Cup and African Cup of Nations will go from 16 teams to 24 teams in 2019, the CONCACAF Gold Cup will go from 12 teams to 16 teams in 2019, and the 2026 World Cup will go from 16 teams to 24 teams. The Cup is hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and the competition features between 32 and 48 teams.
In addition to qualifying for the aforementioned tournaments, competitive games in the Nations League are also currently being played in international slots in Europe, North and Central America, and the Caribbean.
“It’s definitely a more international game,” he explains.
“For example, with the Nations League national team, it’s great to play in smaller tournaments and win trophies, and it gives smaller teams a chance to qualify for the Euros, which I like.
“The problem is that in September, October and November, the best players, the top players, have to play important games, and the manager can’t be replaced and try new things.
“Every game is very important because the World Cup qualifiers start now, and we have to get a good result.”
However, Courtois has currently chosen not to play for the Belgium national team under current coach Domenico Tedesco.
The decision came after he was left out of Belgium’s squad for the 2024 European Championship following an altercation with Tedesco last year.
The 102-cap player admits he still harbors hopes of playing for his country again someday.
“I’m always proud to play for my country,” he explains. “Obviously, the team has moved on as well, but you never know what’s going to happen next month or next year.
“Of course I would like to play another match, have a proper farewell or play again. I would love to play in the World Cup… but let’s see what happens. It’s not that easy That’s not the point.”
FIFA is not alone in its quest to increase market share.
Starting this season, each team will play at least two additional games in UEFA’s revamped Champions League, Europe’s most prestigious club football competition.
In a move away from the established six-match group stage format, each club will now play eight matches in a single league of 36 teams.
But Mr. Courtois supports this.
“This is very similar to the idea that our president (Florentino Perez) proposed, Super League, and what they wanted to do,” he says.
“I think they got this new approach right because they’ve had a lot of exciting games and you have to fight until the end and you never know what’s going to happen.”
Courtois, along with Vinicius Junior, Bellingham and Valverde, will once again be an integral part of Real Madrid as they aim to defend and add to their record-breaking La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles.
Despite criticism for their slow start to the season, Los Blancos have already won two silver medals, winning the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
They will have the chance to win a third trophy when they travel to Saudi Arabia in mid-January to take part in the Spanish Super Cup alongside FC Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and Real Mallorca.
Meanwhile, a win against Valencia this Friday would see them move into first place in La Liga, ahead of rivals Atletico Madrid.
“We never prioritize one thing,” he says confidently. “I think we won the last two Champions Leagues, we also won La Liga.
“I think this year, in La Liga, anyone can beat anyone. It’s a tough competition, but it’s the same in the Champions League. We just want to win everything possible and that’s what we want to do at Real Madrid. It is also what is required.”
