Do Footballers ACTUALLY Play Too Many Matches?

With the expansion of the Champions League, FIFAs proposals to hold a biennial World Cup, and increased protestation from players and managers over fixture congestion, the debate over whether or not footballers play too many matches has never been more fervent.
Declan Rice recently received a fair amount of backlash after he pointed out that he played 68 games last season, with lots of fans feeling as though footballers are very well-paid and have comparatively easy lives.
So in this video, HITC Sevens takes a look at why there are so many fixtures these days, with that number still rising, what the risks are associated with extreme fixture congestion, and whether it is in fans and players best interests for there to be fewer games.

[@joaopedrooliveira590]

I am an FC Porto fan. In Portugal we have a 34 games a season League, National Cup, League Cup and then Champions League. This year, we already had a 10 day period where the team played 4 times. With injuries to the midfield, the same two players had to play 90 minutes in all of them. By the 4th game (a Champions League game) they could barely move. One of them, Mateus Uribe, is a starter for the Colombia national team so after this stretch, he had to travel to the US, play two international games for his team and then return to Portugal, arrive 24 hours before another game and start it as well. In the last couple of years we had players arriving hours before games and being called to play nonetheless. This is getting to a point of absolute insanity!

[@silviofelix1991]

E nós jogamos devagarinho aqui em Portugal.

[@sparkz2337]

Vamos Porto

[@connoredward354]

Liverpool have 9 games in October and our midfield is already pretty much out with injuries

[@daarom3472]

Easy solution: players taking a pay cut allowing for larger squads, or less matches.

[@daarom3472]

@@Sirlordbob so why don't they take a 20% paycut and play 20% less matches? Professional footballers earn more than the heads of most nations. Obviously with that salary comes some expectation...

[@williamferguson8543]

I think the more important question is how does Alfie pump out such high quality videos every 2-4 days? We must protect this man’s physical and mental well-being!

[@MrTonyktn]

FIFPro doesn’t care about Alfie

[@just-give-me-a-handle]

He really needs to avoid pumping out more than 45 minutes of content within a span of 5 days 😢

[@soundscape26]

Agreed, his output is impressive.

[@theMoerster]

But Alfie is probably on a wage of around 500,000 pounds a week so I'm sure he can handle it.

[@Moinul987]

For his age, Pedri played way, way too many games last season. Speaking from a Chelsea fan person, players like Mason mount can handle 60 games a season, but we thought that about N'golo Kante too, so basically, weather or not it looks possible to play 2 high octane games per week, it is likely to result in recurring injuries in the future

[@tvmanin]

You're saying a 19 year old can't play 100hs of football a year??? Man the fk up

[@ktbecstasy]

I have good songs as welll

[@mrsomeone846]

Pedri played 22 games last season…

[@donaldrussell3040]

Barca better do right by Pedri & Gavi fr like no bullshit

[@zawadulkarim9425]

As someone who follows Barcelona closely, it was entirely predictabke that pedri would inevitably suffer from injuries. He was played incessantly under Koeman. Yes, he went to the Olympics on his own choice, but the Spanish FA should have stepped in and said no. Playing that many games particularly so early is very ill-advised

[@keeshengang4132]

Kante is a perfect example of why footballers play too much, he's someone who plays at 110% intensity each game, and due to his importance to Chelsea and France, he's rarely if not almost never rested 2 to 5 seasons ago, then now he's injured more in the last 2 seasons than he'd ever been, they really do need some rest

[@JLvideocp]

I am an Atletico Mineiro fan, and the brazilian football schedule is ridiculous. We have the national cup + copa libertadores + state championship (about 15 games) + national league (38 games). And away games can take a 5 hour flight. Last year our keeper, Everson, was the player with the most appearences in the entire world, he played 79 games in one season!!!

[@Jj_2723]

Tá doido

[@soundscape26]

I'm a massive F1 fan and they keep expanding the calendar as well. More than the drivers themselves, it takes a huge toll on mechanics, engineers, PR people, you name it... each team moves around 100 people from race to race. I would say that greed has taken over most sports.

[@johnwhittaker311]

Money is one of the single biggest evils in the world, change my mind

[@OzyMandias13]

@@johnwhittaker311 Money AND Religion

[@reintaler6355]

@@OzyMandias13 didn't expect a comment with clear lack of any critical thinking appear on this great channel

[@johnwhittaker311]

@@OzyMandias13 no I don’t agree about religion being evil at all. Evil things have been done in religion’s name, I do not deny it, but that is not necessarily the fault of religion. Evil people will always do evil things, they will just find another reason for doing it. When you break almost any religion down, the message is to live a kinder, more respectful life. That isn’t evil. I am sick and tired of people labelling all religion as bad. I think that it’s not only offensive, but shows a clear lack of understanding about religion. They are not prefect, nothing is, but to label all religion as evil because evil people have used it as an excuse to do evil things, is to massively oversimplify and be wilfully ignorant of all the good things that have been done in religions name. As the other comment said, it shows a distinct lack of critical thinking. So no, I don’t agree with you putting religion in the same bracket as money, which has only fostered greed. Religion and money are not comparable

[@davidjr4903]

@@OzyMandias13 hitler was atheist

[@LFC_Fan23]

They certainly do and the expectations on them are ridiculous. They'll play 40 to 50 games yearly then get labelled as "finished" when they have a single bad patch. Look at the likes of Salah, Son and Mane for example.

[@Tefz.]

Bro, no wonder liverpool starting bad rn, they played 70 GAMES last season

[@ethandalton6480]

@@Tefz. Klopp playing the same team every week for 3 years doesn't help things either

[@Tefz.]

@@ethandalton6480 True man

[@chrismason9091]

@@Tefz. Trent playing most games (Prem and Champs League no less) since he was what, 17 or 18? And he's still only 24. Like you say no wonder some players like him are 'under performing'

[@shawklan27]

Yeah it's a thankless industry especially if you're in the minor leagues

[@harrisonsearle4854]

It’s actually ridiculous the lack of rest they get during the off-season. It’s legit 3 and a half weeks or so, then they’re back into preseason.

[@diablejambe3460]

Yep totally agree. I mean the nba season is pretty ridiculous too with the amount of games they play. But at least theres a minimum of like 2 months between the last game and the beginning of preseason/training camp. And thats for the teams who make it far in the playoffs. I get it, its pro sports and a major reason they can make what they make is down to how many games they play. But i always found the almost absolute lack of an offseason just inhumane.

[@Mikacool]

@@diablejambe3460 But yet they keep on accepting higher wages every time a new contract is offered. Of course there is going to be more expected of them if the reason they've been offered more is from TV companies paying the clubs/franchises to see more of them!

[@jbo4547]

@@Mikacool shit opinion

[@12thMandalorian]

Are players just becoming a bit soft?

[@mrnobody4676]

@@12thMandalorian No. They barely get rest. Its all changed now, they cant book a week off work like us. Plus they get followed around wherever they go.

[@DGAMINGDE]

I love how people say "Don't complain about to high expectations that lead to physical danger, because I also have that". Instead of saying both is terrible, they just think it should be acceptable that people destroy themselves for work. This worldview isn't even efficient. Beeing in pain makes you weaker and less efficient and nothing is stronger than understanding your own limitations. I'm meanwhile back for my suggestion: Day 18: The biggest wins in every european top flight (Athletic Bilbio 12-1 FC Barcelona; Gladbach 12-0 Dortmund; Ajax 13-0 VVV Venlo).

[@johnwhittaker311]

All the time people have the attitude “well I was wronged so you should be too.” It’s pathetic. Two wrongs don’t make a right so if there’s a chance to improve something that is wrong, we should do so, regardless of whether someone thinks it’s “unfair” that they were wronged and someone else wasn’t

[@2DarkHorizon]

Actually coaches don't rotate players enough. It is the coaches fault not FIFA. They don't want to use their reserve players most of the time. Coaches are too scared of losing. So your point isn't revelant in the discussion because it isn't the core problem.

[@sunflowersamurai10]

@@johnwhittaker311 its wanker mentality, they would rather enrich their exploiters at someone else's expense than actually oppose it in the first place

[@axxessmundi]

I remember the LB Roberto Carlos playing for Palmeiras in the 90s before he went to Inter Milan complaining about being sleepy playing 3 games a week. The state cup, the Rio-SP cup & Libertadores. Brazil, debatably, has the most rigorous football schedule.

[@jucalebre7540]

Yes, Brazil is crazy, foreigners players and managers come here and are amazed/pissed about the quantity of games

[@Maximus7th]

It's honestly not even a debate. Their league has the same number of games as La Liga and Premiere League but in 3-4 less months time. On top of State Championships beforehand and a national cup (and God forbid the Copa Libertadores for the better clubs). Brazil's football schedule is practically inhumane.

[@thejungwookim]

You can see it simply with the richer teams needing bigger squads to keep up their fitness and competitiveness

[@andrasszabo1570]

And then most coaches refuse to use all of their players until they're forced to when their starting XI players get injured due to exhaustion...

[@buckburns1766]

@@andrasszabo1570 True. As a Spurs fan I am frustrated that Harry Kane is given next to zero rest. I mean he played the entire 6-1 wins vs Leciscester City.

[@AdamCanavan12]

@@buckburns1766 spurs have shown time and time again they don’t give a shit about Harry Kane if they did they would’ve let him leave to city. Net impact will be good players not wanting to join spurs

[@ohshit9708]

Yes they are, hence why so many teams are struggling with injuries (Barca, Dortmund, Liverpool etc)

[@Chronicthekid]

Sleep is recovery. I wonder how many hours of sleep these guys get with such absurd schedules.

[@man4437]

It's kind of dystopian that we have a highly paid underclass (athletes) who, in exchange for entertaining us, are asked to completely eschew their health and social life. This is extremely blatant in the US where major head trauma is a regular fixture of gridiron, and players are told that "if they don't want it they shouldn't have signed up" when for most of them, they're gambling their health for the possibility of not working at a megamarket or liquor store their entire life. But anyway, this is very much a problem in football too. If it's so objectionable that footballers complain about having to play too many games because of how much they get paid, then the answer is to pay them less (yes, really, but actually footballers deserve to be paid MORE), not treat them as a secondary class of human beings

[@Eibarwoman]

Or a warehouse which is equally as physically grinding given physical demands over a day if employed by Amazon.

[@roboticaljohn8299]

You always do such a good job of humanising soccer players

[@belloemmanuel9399]

This is so valid! It's simply madness to keep adding fixtures to the fixture list for financial reasons.

[@Mikacool]

But then the players should refuse contracts with higher wage increases if they don't want to play more games. Of course the TV companies are going to want to see a return on their investment if they keep on offering clubs more and more money to see them.

[@mrnobody4676]

@@Mikacool I see bellos point but i think urs is more relevant and true Mika

[@SirManchesterDevil]

I would argue it's the clubs at the top that keep chasing the money in exchange for more games whether it's from UEFA, FIFA or some private entity that represents the clubs themselves that want all of the money when they already have most of the money.

[@derickl436]

I never played at a level higher than amateur and I worked on building sites during summer breaks from uni. As I’m now middle-aged I’d rather be able to walk than have bucketloads of cash in the bank. I also remember the case of Allan McGraw the former Greenock Morton manager who took a number of pain-killing injections in order to keep playing when injured and as a result wrecked his knees and required crutches to walk for the rest of his life. Seeing him on the touch line with his crutches brought that home. Health must come first

[@arthurkariuki4277]

The ending perspective on Neymar/Brazilian footballers was eye opening. If anything give me more appreciation for Neymar still performing despite all the injuries and Mileage on his body

[@SammiesTheJah]

Thank you Alfie for this really important conversation point. It really does hit home and I believe the leagues and teams should really consider the (after football repurcussions). Not that they will of course but they should. Fans deserve the best football and footballers deserve the greatest fans who also see them as human beings 1st. Really interesting conversation to be had here

[@jesuisunstroopwafel]

"All play and no rest makes Jack a dull boy."

[@OzyMandias13]

Paraphrased 👆🏻👍🏻

[@francolive5718]

They probably do, however clubs do have an abundance of players and they could perhaps do a bit more to integrate youth players and utilise squad players a bit more.

[@kieronparr3403]

Yeah they have 25 man squads and unlimited youth players. Nobody is making the clubs pick them

[@gm2407]

To implement the proposition of limiting to 55 games all players at no more than 45 minutes (excluding injury time) would require the current matches played to be shorter or fewer in number otherwise every club would need 55 man squads and unlimited substitutes to accomodate such difficulties. Really we should be reducing matches to 60 minutes with two halves of 30 minutes, half time of 30 minutes and smaller leagues with fewer games. Of course ticket prices should drop otherwise you are getting less for your money (but that isnt going to happen). Shorter games would mean greater intensity of the games and the half hour half time would mean more recovery for the second half.

[@zeusadolphus1638]

@@gm2407 Thank God you're not on the Fifa board responsible for choosing rules 🤣

[@gm2407]

@@zeusadolphus1638 Point is that the game would need to be seriously altered to make the allowances for playing time. It will become drastically different in quality and form.

[@MrVinjex]

@@gm2407 or you set a club limit for minutes per player. For example UEFA could say that the maximum amount of minutes a player can play in the UCL is 900 minutes including injury time. Then the FA in England could say 2000 minutes is the limit in England. Something along those lines also makes games interesting because the managers have to figure out how to space the teams out and which players to play when.

[@saxpackabs]

One of the things I must really commend you on is your empathy. Emotional intelligence is often overlooked when producing content like this and videos are limited to "Shut up, you get paid a lot!" Or "This would be cool, so they should do it!" Once again Alfie proves he is a top bloke

[@cryptocsguy9282]

Do a video on what a modern Yugoslavia team would look like in 2022 if the country still existed , Matic , Modric , vlahović , džeko , perišić , rakitic , mitrovic.

[@Implosion99]

Worth a like just for the Four Yorkshiremen-esque monologue at the start - brilliant!

[@caesar-dynastysports]

The funniest thing about people complaining about athletes saying they compete too often is the asinine belief that said athlete does nothing between matchdays. Declan Rice rocks up and works 68 times a year and then just jets off to the beach for other 297 days. Almost as if training doesn't exist.

[@_danl6327]

Very informative content! We don't want our legends go through all the pains pre and post retirements. Hope Big orgs try to bring the quality again not the quantity. Cheers to the beautiful game

[@funisanartform]

Pretty sure you'd hate me for my politics, Alfie, but you are one of my favourite sports youtubers. Always putting deeper thought into world events and your content. I love hearing your opinion on sports and its wider reaching implications. Your considered approach reminds me to be more reflective on what I put my time and energy into.

[@mrsomeone846]

Think I’m in the same boat as you there😂

[@WGK90]

@@mrsomeone846 Basically your both saying you're selfish ignorant c**ts, since not much of his political agenda is anything other than stating the obvious.

[@biffmuncher23]

I mean to be fair high level players do get paid enough to support themselves if they're injured and left unable to work for the rest of their lives. However, as human beings they are pushed to the absolute limit of physical endurance in some instances. They need a break too.

[@jedross2136]

There's not that much help, for every ex-pro that goes onto a TV studio there's a hundred that fall into gambling addiction and that money doesn't last long.

[@biffmuncher23]

@@jedross2136 well hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds help sustain their lifestyle more than it would me. It's terrible that there's no support for those that fall into that cycle of addiction, however, I myself am a recovering cocaine addict and I lost everything. Not saying they couldn't but most of the time they have solid assets and an ability to pay for good help. I do live near Sandbanks though and see Gazzer regularly the poor man. It's a complicated subject to be honest and I'm not really able to judge or critique on an academic level. They're still people at the end of the day and don't deserve to suffer, be forgotten or worked to the bone.

[@jedross2136]

@@biffmuncher23 Hear hear.

[@Vargskinn]

We should not forget, though, that as early as the seventies, some players played at least as many games as players do today. I only learned about that from the great German podcast "11 Leben". There were way less European Cup games, but clubs used to be touring and playing friendlies, because back then filling actual stadiums was where the money was at.

[@diablejambe3460]

Ill take ur word for it but i think another point to add is that compared to before, players now run more. Before most players just stuck to their "position" and didnt leave that area as much. Plus the pace/tempo of games was also significantly slower. Remember watching some older world cup game (no newer than 74) and thinking "wow, this shit is slow as hell" lol. And one final point, i think what players now have to go through mentally is more challenging as well. Not saying it was easy, but before if u had a shit game, u go home, maybe it gets talked about a bit on the news and newspaper and thats it. Whereas nowadays u open ur phone and its just constant abuse. And theres more sports talk shows for ppl to talk shit about i as well. Not a fan of the guy but i think of maguire, pretty sure it wouldve been a lot easier on him mentally if he played back in those days and perhaps he wouldve bounced back already cuz he wouldnt have had to deal with this daily abuse from fans and "experts" alike.

[@Vargskinn]

@@diablejambe3460 No doubt about that either, yeah.

[@AdamCanavan12]

@@diablejambe3460 Harry Maguire would’ve been an expert pacey CB in the 70s or prior he’s proper old school think it would’ve suited him more on and off the pitch

[@domapusic]

That's what i've been telling people, you can't actually BRIBE your cruciate ligament or achilles tendon. If it's under too much stress, it's gonna break, no matter how much money you throw at it.

[@jimbob-robob]

Perhaps there should be a "Squad Round" mid season where the next two games are played by squad members who haven't started or played 90 mins yet... (AKA The League Cup for rich clubs...😂)

[@henryreturns1397]

Personally for me : - It would be “better and fine” if the schedule and matches were plan ahead of time so there is no conflict of “having to play 3 games in a single week” or playing a game every 3 days like in Premier league - Cancel the international FIFA friendlies crap. That single handedly cause the most injuries and make players more tired cuz they have to travel more and even less time resting - Have a better “World Cup qualification system” that does not rely on mid season cuz other than screwing players , that also screw the clubs who paid these players

[@TBoneTony]

In Australian Rules Football, you get 22 games in the regular season plus a max of 3 to 4 games in Finals, having 25 to 26 games per season is the standard during a Winter season.

[@princessportsassociation5958]

I feel the players themselves and their managers need to collectively speak up about this for any impact to occur.

[@2DarkHorizon]

Meanwhile the coach doesn't rotate players whilst pretending to blame FIFA.

[@AdamCanavan12]

When Klopp and Pep have the media call them Moans Fergie and Wenger used to talk about it aswell and got the exact same reaction from the media

[@kipzonderkop1994]

I had to find your vid by searching for it, last few videos haven’t shown in my subs box for some reason and I wondered where you’d gone.

[@deanbrown29]

Well said Alfie. It affects the quality too

[@decb]

Rushing a player back from injury increases the chance of that injury reoccurring, only more seriously. I was shocked to hear about players having surgery to return to playing quicker. That puts a huge stress on the body each time, and then there are the potential complications up to, and including, death. But there was also a time when certain injuries would be career ending. Brian Clough was a prolific goalscorer for Sunderland and Middlesbrough, averaging almost a goal a game (251 goals in 274 league apps, the current highest ratio in English professional football of those with 200+ goals). He tore his MCL and ACL age 27, couldn't play for 2 years, and was only able to play 3 further games afterwards before having to retire aged 29. He then went into management and the rest is history.

[@jamiedoyle1754]

Alfie have you heard the control surrounding the celebrations of the Ireland's Women's National Team qualifying for the World Cup? Would love to hear your opinion.

[@crystalracing4794]

Comparing today's football to 80's football is like comparing Denmark to Nigeria in terms of working & living standards: they're both wholly different. Players used to smoke, drink and have pot bellies, now they're all trim athletes with personal chefs and sport scientists. The running stats have gone from 9km to 12 km per game. But teams keep playing more games for more revenue, particularly in post lockdown era

[@milesjcarter]

I think it's interesting to compare with ice hockey here - despite an 82 game regular season and the increased level of contact, significantly more players keep playing at a high level into the second half of their thirties, and even into their 40s in a fair few cases (e.g. Jagr, Selanne, Datsyuk). There's a few possible reasons for this, like skating on ice rather than running on grass, but surely one is the line-change system which allows players to rest during the game, no one is skating for more than a few minutes at a time

[@cerealously9407]

I think the major concern is the distance covered. The average hockey player will only skate between 2-5kms during a 60 minute game. Whereas football players cover an average 10kms per match. From experience, you can cover more distance on ice than a pitch due to gliding on the ice from the skates. The hockey players on the first line (your best players) are only on the ice for between 20-25 minutes of that 60 minutes in increments of 30-45 seconds of high intensity. Also, something to consider is that the NHL has to contend with time zone changes of up to +/-3 hours when travelling versus up to +/-12 hours for many non-european players. You also have to consider the amount of breaks for hockey players during a game in this analysis. A twenty minute period usually lasts between 35-45 minutes due to stoppages in play and things like TV timeouts (basically the broadcaster is playing ads while players just stand awkwardly), with an additional 20 minute intermission between periods. Most hockey games last 2.5 hours for 60 minutes of play from this scheduling. In comparison, football players play 45 minutes straight with 10 minute rest then another 45 minutes, a game mostly lasts between 1 hour 40 to 1hour 50 minutes depending on stoppage time.

[@milesjcarter]

"Football players play 45 minutes straight" isn't exactly true, the average in the premier league in the last few seasons was 56 minutes of actual play per 90 minutes. But that's still a lot more time than the average 15-20 minutes (depending on position) an NHL player plays per game. I'd suggest that's why they can manage to do stuff like playing games on back to back nights

[@benflint4207]

I played rugby as a front row forward in my teens and twenties- everything hurt but I was good so I kept going. Now I'm in my forties everything still hurts but I'm not getting paid. Balls to that!

[@Vivacomunismo]

Was talking about this, players would be so much more long lasting and injury free if they got like 20 moves removes from the schedule and played way more youth players

[@samuelschonenberger]

Youth players or increase the allowed size of the overall squad

[@BOABModels]

I played one game of football in December last year and I felt knackered for over a week afterwards. I'm 35 and go to the gym but just hadn't played football for a while. It doesn't matter how much money you're paid, your body can only handle so much.

[@2DarkHorizon]

There is always someone to replace you, so it has nothing to do with your body only. Can't play they can find someone else. But most of the time they don't.

[@cryptocsguy9282]

@Building On a Budget Models probably because you're not used to that particular form of exercise

[@thepeopleslibrary9345]

Thank you for mentioning the additional difficulty of travel in the US. As a Seattle Sounders fan, the combination of MLS salary cap and how teams are incentivized to develop domestic talent can have some odd impacts. This season we are treated to the bizarre sight of our new starting center back being a breakout local kid from our academy, Jackson Ragen. That is wonderful to see, especially seeing as he was able to earn that spot over an international player currently making more than 10x the amount of money to warm the bench for him. But playing in our top domestic league, flying across the US and the Americas, playing often two games a week, and earning 68k, which is 20k less than Seattle minimum income is absurd. If he had a family he would actually be below the household poverty line for Seattle.

[@Hyde_Hill]

Max league size of 16, 1 domestic cup competition, domestic cup games are played in weekends with teams in continental competitions getting bye's for the early rounds. That plus some rotation should fix most of it.

[@RAMOS_DE_67]

It's a hard one but a lot of it will come down to the players contracts and at the top level getting paid less for less games so the club can afford to buy players off around equal talent, plus if players are taking painkillers or unneeded surgery instead of resting it's there choice.

[@carlzabel8]

for about a year and a half I went to 2-3 super smash brothers tournaments a week. I love the game but driving hours a week, practicing and actually competing for the whole day in a tournament was exhausting. Maybe if I made money doing it instead of breaking even with gas then I would have kept it up for longer but currently I'm taking a break and when I start again it will be less often. I can imagine the struggle to so often be playing sports at a world class level. Even before you mentioned the proposed limit of 55 I was thinking in my head a limit of 52. Once a week seems a pretty good amount of games and as a unit of time is very easily digestible and gives a little bit of a break. I do also think that the amount of competitions actually causes me to be less interested in some (although it does seem to increase revenue). For instance in England with 2 cups, a league, and competitions outside of the country, and probably more that I haven't mentioned, I find I care little about some competitions and more about others. My perspective as an American who can only follow through a screen might be different but more competitions does sorta make the competitions feel less important. That's part of why I think the world cup or the respective seasonal olympics feel so special: because it's only once every 4 years so it's dramatic and means a lot.

[@mafiousbj]

One should also mention that for every match played, there is a ton of team personnel who travels with the players everyday. Besides the coaches they usually can´t say "I earn millions a year" to justify the prolonged absences from home, jet lag and the lack of proper rest that come with being on the road most of the week. Much like the new 24 race calendar for F1, the drivers/players are not the only victims, but the "badly" (in comparison) paid mechanics/support personnel that have to follow the teams everywhere for them to function properly are usually ignored.

[@nettlecider]

... not to mention the simple fact that more games makes the experience less special. But fair to point out that ceo's are not that aware of it, hmmm. Awesome video, as always

[@notthatcreativewithnames]

On the financial motivation side, I think there is another factor as well: the overseas sources. Arguably, some people in some Asian countries, where their top flight leagues are weak even compared to, say, J-league or K-league, would rather watch Premier League or La Liga over their own domestic leagues because, well, "quality". Therefore, there are even more financial incentives in leagues like La Liga or Serie A compared to leagues of smaller nations, and there are "serve quality football to your home" companies that will stand there and make money out of these. There is a big chunk of money from deals with such companies for broadcasting rights as well. (I mean, if there is no monetary motivation, why on earth would Manchester United and Liverpool compete in Bangkok? A preseason match between the two can be played in, I don't know, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, or Burnley if they wish.)

[@dominicstevenson8932]

There is a element of the players having their cake and eating it too, so to speak. The players themselves won't unionize in the same way basketball, or american football players have because it would simply be against the self-interest of the highest level players, because it would more than likely entail some sort of salary limitations. The problem is, if, particularly top-level players, want to keep making the outrageous money they are and still maintain their power (if the Ronaldos, Messis etc of the world want to play less often, they will) they will choose that option.

[@jboogie2o160]

I am super happy I bumped into HITC but broooooooooo these videos r soooooo long

[@kiriakoz]

This video was really interesting. Just thought I'd write something about THIS video rather than the silly comments with ideas for other ones (I'm a bit bored of them tbh).

[@nicholasliong5946]

already know this video is a banger

[@Yee2792]

always is

[@lioncactus1906]

I think part of the dismissing is also because every game we see atleast 1 guy roll over the field in agony like hes been struck down by lighting for then to magically walk and run again. To me its no wonder noone takes the complaints serious if this stuff happens all the time.

[@nathanguillaume1247]

Obviously I am not a professional soccer player but I can relate somewhat. My high school soccer team plays our 18 game season in about 41 days. I play all 80 minutes every game (Don't ask me why it's not 90) and the occasional 20 minute golden goal overtime (I know it makes no sense) and I am always completely dead by the end of the season with various nagging injuries. The 8 team playoff bracket is played over 5 days with one day to rest between each game. I have been blessed to avoid major injuries, but each year several of my teammates end up missing months due to injuries they picked up from soccer. The schedule of some pro players is crazy these days, but unfortunately I think this will just lead to teams carrying deeper squads to play more games. This isn't good because the biggest teams will continue to hog even more of the talented players.

[@2DarkHorizon]

Well the solution is just have bigger teams you said it yourself. They should ban teams from the competition if their line up is too small. It isn't hard to finding willing players.

[@CaptnLoken]

Alfie should make a video about your weird 80 minute golden goal shenanigans I reckon

[@Pedro1936]

My club in Brazil is playing 72 games this year 😢

[@nicolassalamanca8051]

Coming to this channel to see everything that should but won't be implemented

[@EduardoGrassoTV]

Players can either ask their managers to rotate more, plainly sit out of games or go play for teams that do not participate on European competitions and reject national teams calls

[@pablogallegoGNZ]

FIFpro has to cap how many ganes can be played in a short time frame to force players to be benched at certain times. Most top flights have youth academies that can fill in for these players for games, and it’s part of a club’s organization and team management that will help conquer titles. Its a reality that all the money aside, there needs to be consideration for these players and that it would also increase the interest in these comps when you have player restrictions like a match cap that creates more consumable narratives, if we still want to make sure this decision is financially feasible.

[@Ldoggmillionaire]

The argument about how much they are paid is completely irrelevant really. Being rich doesn’t give them sudden unbelievable fitness that means they can’t get tired or pick up injuries no matter how hard they work to reach peak physical fitness

[@beanmanwexford]

Bro I love your writing

[@johnwhittaker311]

I’ve been saying this for a while. People complain about footballers complaining about workload, thinking that just because they make a lot of money then that invalidates their opinions. Apart from the fact that footballers in England outside the premier league don’t actually earn as much as people think, their job and ours are not comparable. The physical effort required is so much more than a lot of other jobs, the requirements to be at peak ability every game, with little room for errors or mistake. The mental toll of having thousands criticise your every move… Every complaint is valid. People have different circumstances and different abilities to cope and that is okay. Footballers are allowed to complain

[@Nuanced717]

I played soccer all through school (15 yrs) & GK for 6. None professional. I have ankle & finger & hip injury’s that I still deal with today. I never played close to 70 games a year. Can’t imagine how bad I’d feel or how many injuries I’d of had at that rate. No matter the money we need to understand there are limits to the human body. The let them cry on their piles of money isn’t a smart retort. I’d like to watch my favorite players on the pitch not in the stands.

[@rechnin6680]

You were lucky! I worked 13 hours down mill and had to pay mill owner for the privilege!... Anyone interested in this topic should read about Gabriel Batistuta's post career traumas. This is also why I think Atalanta's handling of Ilicic's issues was amazing.

[@DraCaryyss]

another Documentary man

[@paul6719]

Get rid of national friendlies / nations league (same thing), make all cup comps straight knockouts. Job done

[@christophercopley6474]

Put simply I'd deal with the pain to do what they do just to have that ability to do something that i love for a living is a dream

[@musajojo]

Honestly even as a fan, I feel there is almost too much football now a days. There can be too much of a good thing, especially if all the players are injured. That not entertaining. The higher-ups should definitely start putting fixture congestion and too many games into the plans from the beginning.

[@leemcdonald1342]

Video idea 7 most influential managers in association football history.

[@NMadas76]

Regarding International football .. the WC and the Continental Championships have been around for decades .. as have the qualifiers .. the clubs though have expanded to massive pre season tours all over the world as well as mid season exhibitions … there is way too much money in club football as it is…

[@emettvoe9381]

Wow, this video really opened my mind.😔

[@fofotre8361]

I can understand people that deliberately choose to be well-payed but destroy their own body to get this money. Problem is footballers are young and are usually not aware of this "secret deal" they are forced to approve if they want to stay at the highest level. And as you told it, football itself is lacking of interest because of the fixture congestion. I can't even, as a fan, watch all the matches I want to see (some UCL matches, PL matches, and matches from my team Chelsea, who plays in both competitions) :') Even for fans, there's too much matches. Although, Seferin is the only one who wants to increase the total number of matches without increasing the number of matches per team/player. Maybe it's because he doesn't need it, but I think we can at least credit him for this.

[@Kiev_The_Great]

Ipswich legend Kevin Beattie had his career massively disrupted by injury. To try and power through he had an obscene number of cortisone injections to get him through games. For the 1978 cup final he had 3 injections, 2 doses before kickoff and another at halftime. Doctors now would suggest you shouldn't have that many injections in an entire year, let alone a couple of hours.

[@luqmanmattan4710]

Just went to Porto and now is my favourite place is Portugal amazing place

[@paulmiller7838]

The New England Revolution of MLS just completed a 34 game season, had U.S. Open Cup competition as well as CONCACAF Champions League this year. Because of the world cup being in November MLS compacted the season and the congestion was so bad that over the course of this season (which just ended for them) they never managed to play a single game with their full strength starting 11. Not 1 game all season. Often relying on a 4th sting CB or a couple teenagers just signed up from the youth academy to fill in the roster (and even get starts for the youngsters). Still, fixture congestion is a huge issue and player health and safety has to be taken far more seriously.

[@mjc8281]

I attended a game Mark Hughes played in Germany which was his second game of the day.

[@jedross2136]

So is the players union just a name or can they go on strike for better conditions?

[@wolfmauler]

You changed the title! Hence my earlier confusion.

[@musaddiqmunirliman8267]

With the way technology is evolving and medical team too, I have no problem with lots of games, if teams can't use their whole squad to pursue something.. It's on them

[@Ren_1090]

Why does it matter if you have no problem with fixture congestion? You’re not affected by it. The results of research done with former professional footballers demonstrates just how many of them suffer from chronic pain. Having squad depth and modern medicine doesn’t prevent that from happening.

[@metalswifty23]

You haven't got a clue, as expected

[@cocojambo2330]

they do play too much matches and at some point it takes away from the entertainment of the game, you see top teams in europe go head to head in march or april and they cleary carefully dose their efforts depending on how important is the match or what are the next fixtures

[@PassivesAbseits]

Honestly, I always wonder, how you can complain as a club or their manager, when your team travels to Asia or North America for promotional tours during the summer, instead of optimizing their pre-season. Jürgen Klopp for instance was very vocal about the Club World Cup, but playing against Manchester United in Thailand is fine? It would be interesting to see, how "real and focused practice" effects all those injuries. Just ask yourself: When was the last time Neymar actually really prepared for the new season during the summer? No promotional tours, no unnecessary flights, no fan meetings, but just practice for 3-4 weeks.

[@anasfarahi4401]

Also, please, do best living players from ages 76 to 100 (again, before it's too late). Jose Santamaria for example, who is from the wonderful 1950s Real Madrid team, is 93 and still with us.

[@flozirkus7618]

no

[@anasfarahi4401]

@@flozirkus7618 stop repeating the word that every girl you have ever asked out has said to you.

[@BALHAM69]

a documentary on the afc Wimbledon on the nine promotions in eleven years, how they’re a fan own club and how they have a stadium in plough lane now. The story of they lost the club, how the F A allowed that and won’t allow that anymore. How they were very close to moving to ireland How they went up the English football leagues. It would be a good documentary video if you can do this. #thepeopleschannel

[@marcobeauvue]

It's way to much games. I love watching football, a lot, but the health of the players it's a first and a must. I've been thinking somethings. In England, rid of the EFL Cup, have the FA Cup stay but without replays, and a shit ton of games are already gone. In general, I actually like this Champions League format (not the next one coming in 2024, that's for sure), so keep it, it's usually pretty well spaced, but this season it's all in a short time because of the World Cup. As for international breaks and competitions, here's my biggest take so far and one that's surely never going to happen. In competitions like the Nations League, instead of calling the usual suspects, call people that never play. Players of teams that don't play in Europe. Those players should rest. It's kinda controversial and it would be a sight to behold, but for me is a win win. New players get a chance to shine representing their country and trying to break in the actual squad for the big tournaments, and the elite players would be rested in those periods of time.

[@RLPETTY04]

As an mls fan, I can categorically say that this going to be a real issue. In collaboration with all the teams from the Mexican league and all the mls teams are participating in a "leagues cup" (quick note: we already have the CONCACAF Champions League so this gives off slight ESL vibes). It's a tournament that will put both leagues on pause just to play some useless tournament, which is only going to put more strain on the players. It's honestly a little sad to see.

[@JazzaHazza77]

I think teams do play too often and by playing too often it impacts the quality of the play. It's either you have enough money so you can have a stacked squad with 2 players for every position or you end with a team that's got lots of injuries and the best players aren't playing. But what's the alternatives, allowing larger squads where the richer teams will benefit even more. Having a superleague which is an awful idea imo. I think there's too much money in the game and it's ruining it as its the same teams winning all the time. I'd hope for more wealth distribution between all teams and still keep the euros and world cups to 4 years, and continental competitions are what all teams want and can be the most interesting matches. Just even allowing more relaxed rules for squad size and not changing the champions league and stop everything being so soulless only caring about money.

[@OfficialFingazMC]

If I ever got to be a top level 100 grand a week player (which never would have happened, I enjoyed partying way too much) I genuinely would play for a few seasons till I had a couple of mil, then settle down and live off the interest. Stops the toll on your body for in later life and I honestly think I would just upgrade from a terraced house to a semi, or if I had kids a detached house, no mansions and ferraris.

[@zappbrannigan7726]

This is a great video but the people who needs to see it won't

[@williamlee7672]

They play a lot but teams should have 23-25 players register plus youth team so should be able to handle it. Plus if I was paid 200k per week. and the managers tell me to get up at 5am in morning and start workout at 5:15. I would do that. In nba. They play 82 games inside a 4 month period. And then if you play 7 game playoff from first round to final. Plus another max 28 games to get to finals. Anybody that played basketball before should know how tiring running up and down the court can be.

[@inkarnator7717]

Lack of empathy goes both ways - from top to bottom and from bottom to top.

[@sunflowersamurai10]

Yes, and the scheduling for these games are terrible. But its ok because they make x amount of money, its not like they are being exploited or anything.

[@kristoffervalen2935]

Would expanding squad sizes in the league with 10-15 players and continental cup squads with 5-7 players. And and the big seven or eight big national teams shouldn't be able to call upon their stars!

[@pllsuperfan4ever256]

What about capping club appearances because it’s basically impossible to cut out international teams.

[@dinardigre5522]

Can you make a video on the 7 best young players in the world (under 22 years old)?

[@cmenomore8119]

1.Haaland 2.Vinicius jr 3.Foden 4.Wirtz 5.Musiala 6.Pedri 7.Bellingham If you mean exclude 22year olds… 1.Wirtz 2.Musiala 3.Pedri 4.Bellingham 5.Davies 6.Saka 7.Rodrygo or Gavi

[@Nicsmithsa]

100%, how can they perform at there near level if they’re playing more then 1 game a week

[@neil1982]

Twice is a week is an acceptable amount of games IMO (i'd rather say a game every 4 or 5 days but that goes over the week mark). Once you cross that mark you are risking injuries. Anyone saying once a week is having a laugh, these guys & gals are super fit, have access to cutting edge recovery treatments and don't train much more than a couple of hours a day (on days they actually train, which isn't every day). FIFA are causing problems with their own greed, which isn't surprising giving how corrupt the organisation is. Football does need a reform but it needs one where the governing bodies aren't just out to line their own pockets and actually promote and improve the game instead. I'd go as far as saying FIFA needs removing from football entirely because all they care about is bribes, bribes and more bribes.

[@alexfarrah]

Squad rotation is the answer

[@opflug553]

It is ironic that people who would complain about how workers are treated in Qatar, would have little concern for the long-term health of footballers.

[@tedski69]

If they are playing too many games, then criticise their manager for overuse.

[@thatavaragewinnie]

Damn bro, next video should be do construction workers work too much on one building