BERLIN (Reuters) – It is difficult to complain about the growing number of matches footballers and clubs are required to play these days as the busy schedule drives revenues for the industry and pays the high salaries, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Friday.
Expanded Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup formats, alongside enlarged national team competitions, have created a greater number of games for top teams and players — but the money generated also rewards those involved in the sport.
“This industry lives from a monetary background. It is a fact for me as well,” Nagelsmann told a press conference in Freiburg ahead of Saturday’s Nations League match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“It is difficult to complain that there are too many matches because when there is a lot of marketing then we all have the salaries we have.
“If it is different then the salaries will be different. So it is a bit difficult for me to complain of too many matches. I do not feel good with that.”
Top footballers are usually busy early in the European summer with their national teams and now have to cope with the new Club World Cup format starting in 2025.
This new 32-team Club World Cup in the United States will finish on July 13, just weeks before the new league seasons get under way which will then lead into the 2026 World Cup.
Word soccer body FIFA has defended its calendar as necessary, while the president of European body UEFA has said the issue affects only a minority of players.
Nagelsmann, whose team also face Hungary on Tuesday in their final Nations League group match, had previously called out for longer breaks for players to handle the increased number of matches.
Germany have already qualified for the Nations League quarter-finals and are looking to top Group A3.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content.