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The Schedule Is Completely Crazy No Time For Family – Says Bernardo Silva
Man City midfielder, Bernardo Silva has expressed his frustrations at the modern football schedule and is not happy with the new Champions League format.
The midfielder is currently with the Portugal national team, which beat Croatia on Thursday night before playing Scotland on Sunday as part of their UEFA Nations League commitments during the current international break.
This comes just weeks after the Premier League gets started, and it is the first time European nations will compete against each other since Euro 2024 this summer.
It has been a tumultuous few months for footballers, and Silva is one player who is dissatisfied with the current schedule and the overwhelming number of matches that are being demanded of players.
Speaking to Record, the Man City talent has labeled the modern schedule as “completely crazy” and has expressed his concern regarding the new Champions League format.
“The schedule is completely crazy. We’ve just received the news that we only have one day off for the English League Cup game,” the 30-year-old said via Fabrizio Romano. “We’ll probably play every three days for months. It’s been absurd.
“In the Champions League, if you don’t qualify for the round of 16 you still have to play two more games. The squads are indeed bigger, but I’m not going to say that it’s easy.
“It hasn’t been easy. I spend very little time with my family and friends. The amount of games we’re subjected to is absurd.”
Bernardo Silva is right about the modern schedule
Silva is right about the amount of games modern footballers have to play as the organizations that run the sport continue to add more and more matches.
This season, some European teams will face additional games, and FIFA has also announced an expanded Club World Cup set to take in the summer of 2025.
A player that goes deep in several competitions could be looking at playing over 60 games during the current campaign, which is affecting the quality of football, being seen in Euro 2024 and the 2024 Copa America being prime examples.
Indeed, squads are bigger and more substitutions are being used, but fans desire to see top players in the world on the field every match.
This could be achieved with a reduced number of games; however, it appears that governing bodies are increasingly adding matches in their relentless pursuit of maximizing revenue from fans.