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2 months ago
16 Erik ten Hag believes the amount of games that are being played across football is ‘too many’ as he hit out at the new Europa League format which enforces an overload of matches on the players.
The Dutchman knows too well about having a thin squad due to injuries after his second season as Manchester United, and tomorrow night he begins the 2024/25 Europa League campaign against his former club FC Twente.
Ten Hag rightly fears the new UEFA competition formats hint that the commercial aspect of football has been prioritised over football. When you look at the amount of fixtures Bruno Fernandes racks up each season, for club and country, it’s crazy to think he could play even more this term.
“I think there are two things you address,” Ten Hag said, as per the Manchester Evening News. “First of all, the format: we have to take this experience and then judge.
“But one thing is for sure, every match is significant and every goal is significant. First you get split after January, the first eight teams qualify and that can help you in February continue. But if you are in the first 24 you can win this competition, so there’s always an option to win it.
“The other part, we discuss it so many times. Yeah, there are too many games, it’s clear, too many competitions. For the top players, they are overloaded, this is not good for football. Maybe it’s good for commercial.
“But there is a limit and players getting injured is almost unavoidable because of the overload from so many games.
“As a club, alone, you can’t change this. It’s more about the total industry. It’s about clubs, players, coaches and so many others who are there in the environment of football have to work to improve the game and find the right balance.
“At the end of the day, it’s financial. We are professional, so revenues have to come, but we have to balance this out.”
The new Europa League format will see 36 teams compete. Each team plays eight games and the top eight automatically qualify for the round-of-16. Any teams finishing between ninth and 24th play a two-legged knockout tie to progress to the last-16 as a last case scenario to qualify for the latter stages.
There is a possibility that United could play 17 games in the Europa League if they reach the final. Ten Hag previously guided United to the quarter-finals of the competition two seasons ago, before leaving Sevilla disappointed after throwing away the tie.
It’s a lot to ask of players on top of fixtures in the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
When asked about his Europa League ambitions this season, Ten Hag added: “There are more roads to achieve the targets you want. Most difficult probably. That is in the end a knock-out stage, but we don’t look too far ahead. We have to go game-by-game. It’s a target and it’s a road we want to go.”
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