The overload problem: A question of quality over quantity
For the majority of this summer's Euros, the quality of football was very questionable. Often lacklustre, clumsy and uninspiring, most teams seemed content to play defensively. Questions were directed towards the style of football and the tactics, but perhaps what we really need to ask is, have we finally reached the plateau where players can no longer play to their full potential, having spent the majority of the season tirelessly playing? In short, yes.
There are far too many games and tournaments and too much is being asked from the players. Taking Manchester City as an example, the team played a staggering 59 games in the span of nine months. This includes 38 Premier League games, 10 Champions League, five Football Association Challenge (FA) Cup matches, two matches in the Carabao Cup after being eliminated in the Round of 16, one Union of European Football Association (UEFA) Super Cup, and three FIFA Club World Cup matches. That comes to 1.44 matches per week. With the 2024-2025 season, that figure will increase due to the new format of the Champions League and the FA's new regulations to prevent Champions League teams from playing teams in the Europa League in the domestic league cup. In addition, there are scheduling conflicts—where teams from the same city are scheduled to avoid playing at home on the same day. Therefore, there will be occasions when Manchester City might have to play three games in seven days, sometimes with only a day in between. On top of that, there are the international friendlies every few weeks and a major tournament every summer, where players from the top flight are regularly featured.
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Over the last few seasons, players have raised their concerns. Organisations such as International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) have highlighted how unsustainable this is, and we saw it last season with a rise in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury that is directly correlated to overplaying. The issue became evident in the matches this summer. Players often seemed uninspired, struggling to cover the extra mile and appearing out of their depth in many areas. To tackle this, UEFA and FIFA have both increased the number of substitutions available. In reality, that does not make a difference as teams are reluctant to substitute their best players off the pitch with half of the game to go. Unfortunately, these are the same players who are playing a full ninety minutes for their clubs as well.
Even players themselves have highlighted concerns regarding this issue but every time someone speaks up, they are quickly shot down with the fact that they make an outrageous amount of money to be complaining. While it is true that players bank millions from these matches, that does not diminish their right to prioritise their health or to spend more time with their families. There is no justification for overplaying except that it brings money for corporations and they are less concerned about quality trumping quantity.
A few seasons ago, this question was presented to UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin whose response was that if you pay less, you get less money. He then proceeded to suggest that the real complaints should come from underpaid factory workers. This, in essence, captures what is wrong with the world, where we often make comparisons to avoid taking responsibility. Yes, factory workers should be paid more, but how does that relate to overworked footballers or absolve federations from their responsibility? This is no better than when Gianni Infantino ranted that Western countries should not criticise Qatar for breaching human rights because they are equally at fault. Deflecting responsibility by comparing it to other, often worse situations, distracts from the issue at hand and provides a moral escape route for those in charge. We must hold everyone equally accountable because two wrongs do not make a right.
However, just blaming FIFA and UEFA will not be enough, domestic cup competitions and leagues are equally at fault here. While many countries have one domestic cup, English football has two—the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. The argument for this is that it allows clubs from lower divisions to make a run to the latter stages, often producing memorable matches and surprise knockouts. Furthermore, the attraction of having the top clubs play is that the lower ranked opposition also benefits from lucrative TV deals when they face these Premier League clubs. But does that balance out the need for extra games that have to be played? One alternative would be not to have clubs in the European competitions participate or a provision to play youth players to take some of the burden off senior players playing extra matches. This will lower the number of matches to be played by certain players and also balance out the lopsided competition, allowing clubs from lower divisions to fight for an unexpected place in the UEFA Conference League play-off rounds. On the other hand, in Spain, the Copa del Rey has the highest number of matches to be played in order to win the title with a total of nine games. But in total, if a club makes it to the final of every competition they play in, Premier League players play four extra matches compared to La Liga players.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to asking if some of the extra matches being played are worth sacrificing players to succumb to injuries and the quality of the games to flail. The overwhelming number of matches played each season is a serious concern, leaving players with only twelve percent of the year to rest—less than one day off per week. This significantly falls below the recommended health standards as well. FIFA's decision to extend the number of teams in the World Cup does not help the case either, leaving the current system unsustainable and affecting a player's longevity.
Raiyan Binte Rafiq is a sports columnist for The Daily Star. She is currently pursuing an LLM, while freelancing for INDIVISA. She also oversees recruitment at Next Level Sports Management based in Bangladesh.
Views expressed in this article are the author's own.
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