Oliver Glasner Furious Over Fixture Chaos As Crystal Palace Faces Four Games In Eight Days

‎Crystal Palace manager, Oliver Glasner, has slammed football’s governing bodies after his team’s midweek League Cup win over Liverpool created severe fixture congestion.

‎The victory, which sent Palace into the quarter-finals to face Arsenal, has left them facing the prospect of four games in just eight days. Glasner expressed disbelief at the scheduling chaos caused by the result.

‎The Austrian called the situation unfair and damaging for player welfare during an already demanding period.

‎Palace’s scheduling dilemma arises from both clubs’ busy calendars, with Arsenal competing in the Champions League and Palace in the Conference League.

‎Their League Cup meeting has left little room for flexibility in the fixture list. As a result, Palace could face the brutal challenge of playing four matches in eight days, including two within just three days.

‎”Honestly, I can’t believe that this will be fixed in that way because I think this would be irresponsible for the players. We have responsibility for the players and we have to look after their welfare,” Glasner told reporters on Friday.

‎”That’s our main responsibility, not just ours here at the club. I was really upset when I heard it for the first time yesterday.

‎”I couldn’t even believe that they are considering this.

‎”I spoke about this issue three months ago when I looked at the schedule. So then in the summer, in the off-season, there are people who have to work on the schedule, and I would really prefer it if they talked together.”

‎Glasner urged greater communication among football’s top decision-makers, expressing frustration over the growing gap between FIFA’s player welfare recommendations and the realities of the English game.

‎”It would be nice if we had the Premier League, UEFA, and EFL talk together because it’s not so surprising that this can happen. This would be irresponsible playing on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday because it’s about players’ welfare,” Glasner added.

‎”There was a meeting in July in New York where FIFA met different players’ organisations and they suggested a mandatory 72 hours between two competitive games.

‎”And now, here in England, they say we don’t care what they are telling us. So that makes me upset.”

‎In 2019, Liverpool had to play twice in two days and then manager Jurgen Klopp threatened to withdraw the club from the competition as they also had Club World Cup commitments in Qatar.

‎The club was forced to field a youthful lineup made up mostly of reserves and academy players, who were beaten by Aston Villa in the League Cup quarter-final, just a day before Klopp’s first team competed in the Club World Cup.