UEFA President reacts to strike threats

Aleksander Ceferin acknowledged, however, that the calendar is overcrowded

Between league games, cups, European competitions, the Club World Cup (next summer) and international commitments, many footballers are forced to travel constantly and play many games on their legs, and the overload of the calendar has led many, in recent times, to rise up, raise their voices and even threaten to go on strike.

This Thursday, Aleksander Ceferin, UEFA president, reacted to the situation, acknowledging that the football calendar is filled “to the maximum”.

“We have to recognise that the fixture list is full. It has reached its peak, but we also have to recognise that the impact of this is quite different for the different clubs and players. Some are overloaded, others still have a lot of free space. I sympathise with those who have spoken out, but who are the players who are complaining? They are the ones who earn the most money, the ones who have the highest salaries. The ones who earn the least have not done so”, said the Slovenian leader during the general assembly of the ECA (European Clubs Association), taking place in Athens, Greece.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of PSG and the ECA, also addressed the issue. “The fixture list has always been a problem. All those responsible for this industry need to sit down at the table, in an open and transparent way, to find the best solution for everyone and not just for a few,” he said.