"They are treated like CATTLE" | Henry, Carragher and Micah HIT OUT at player's crowned schedule

As physical and mental demands intensify, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards on ULC Today voice concerns about the increasingly crowded schedule and its negative impact on football's biggest stars.
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[@trevorwood4400]

As a fan, I've started to find football exhausting. There genuinely is TOO much of it. Football is better when you have to wait a little bit for it.

[@STag-yt5bu]

I'm at the point where if there's an international break, I take a break from watching..

[@christophercamacho8074]

@@STag-yt5buI think the increase of club games has affected our view of international games. There’s less people bothered about friendlies today. Imagine if an international game was played two weeks after a last club game than 3-4 days. More fans would be excited since they haven’t seen their players in a while

[@Helloripley690]

Shut up mate ahaha

[@jaykay3615]

100% agree. The anticipation of the next arsenal game is what makes it special. Every 3-4 days, it becomes mundane and loses its magic.

[@realife1542]

I love it I just hate international break

[@jg6022]

Micah gets it completely wrong...fans don't want more games...we want more MEANINGFUL games.

[@DeEntertains]

@@jg6022 spot on

[@batman4751]

Cute how all these nonces hounded ozil for running the most on the pitch and now they are making excuses for sissy’s

[@hssIceland]

And what do you classify as a "meaningful game?"

[@cyn1clcynide]

​@@hssIceland the first eleven fit, for a start. I don't want to see the reserves playing major games, honestly

[@jg6022]

@@hssIceland Games with jeopardy. Games you want to have your strongest lineup play.

[@MrDunkz]

Perfect example was the level of play at the Euros.

[@barakb1992]

Good example; they were exhausted! And look at how haalands doing after having a break

[@Rayado_26]

You got to have breaks in between at least 4-6 weeks. But honestly 8 weeks is ideal. You get a good competitive season 8 months and a 1 month tournament every 2years. Adjust for preparation and qualifiers depending on the year and region and that's it. And stop adding teams to tournaments. 48 teams world cup or club world cup. Pointless. 😅

[@SapienGalore]

@@MrDunkz 💯!! except from Turkey and Spain, it looked like the rest of the teams played friendlies at the euros!

[@mike04574]

The euros were average af

[@kalalakapay]

@@MrDunkz The Euros weren’t very good. Other than Spain. CAF was way better.

[@numero-unoh]

When Jurgen Klopp was banging on about too many games isn't good for players' health a few years ago, a lot of the pundits and media houses said he is whinging. No one is saying that now, or are they?

[@alistairsmith5389]

Great point. He said this a long time ago a few seasons ago and everyone basically laughed at him. Now all of a sudden it’s being spoken about seriously.

[@Matthew-bu7fg]

Jurgen Klopp made his arguments based on Liverpool though. "We play kickoffs at this time", "we shouldn't have to do a 12:45 on a Saturday" etc. Others are making points which are more general to the health of the game itself

[@primitivem5833]

​@@alistairsmith5389hit the nail right on the head Pal, they should take the draw and keep quiet because no one would be talking about this if Man City won 😂

[@plawandey3715]

@@numero-unoh remember just after the Qatar world cup,united played 3 matches per week for 3 months continuously.i don't remember anybody sympathizing with them.rather they were called cry babys. It seems only the grievances of liverpool and city matters.

[@tariqomer4678]

​@@plawandey3715 Yeah they were competing at ALL fronts. Europa League, FA cup, EFL Cup and the Premier League.

[@ethantownzen9432]

Too many games. Get rid of the Nations League, and Club World Cup.

[@Manpro107]

I say just change UCL back to normal format

[@IBLIZA23]

I possibly don't mind the nations league but encourage squad players to part take more. Kind of like how some teams treat the league cup. Have national teams experiment with fringe players and the like. Or something like half the team must be of under 23y/o players.

[@werewolf1803]

They can have the Swiss model and still play 6 games instead of 8

[@werewolf1803]

Take away the EFL Cup and the Nations League. The Club World Cup is exciting for clubs of other continents. European clubs constantly poach players from them so now they have a chance to shine

[@rivaldovola9896]

agreed

[@mrpatrickljones]

When Henry speaks, his body language reflects the mindset of an active footballer, as if he's reliving his prime Arsenal days. He combines objectivity, diplomacy, and empathy, delivering a perfectly balanced and unbiased analysis. Listening to him is a true pleasure, because it’s not just an expert sharing insights- because he's a former footballer with heart and soul. His passion for the game radiates through every word.

[@oliverbooth2363]

Chat GPT go away

[@Ludydobry]

@@oliverbooth2363 its so obvious 🤣

[@OmphileLesumo]

U like English commentators when Jude plays

[@GoGetYourShinebox]

This is next level riding 😂

[@rah-mown6392]

What? It’s really not that deep 🤣

[@itsmeprasad1987]

Don’t understand the need for UEFA nations league. Understand if it’s connected to euro qualification or World Cup qualification. But as a stand alone doesn’t make sense

[@callumboscoe8685]

@@itsmeprasad1987 I don’t understand the need for a club World Cup with 32 teams even thought it’s probably the least prestigious competition in football.

[@ray.m99]

@@itsmeprasad1987 from what i’ve read it’s all about money mate, the money that fifa make from the world cup even though it’s a 4 year cycle is insane and uefa are trying to reach them kind of numbers hence the changes to champions league and the addition of the nations league

[@vladimirjitaru1890]

Well it is for example the winner of the c league gruops in nations league automatically gets into a playoff for a world cup spot regardless of the actual qualification groups for the world cup and for a nation like romania slovakia etc this is very big

[@RR-ci9pm]

The UEFA nations league hasn’t added any more matches onto the calendar though. It’s just replaced International friendlies.

[@zorashki]

They are just scared that something like super leauge can happen... this is a thing to keep them busy

[@danielgutzz]

The problem is creating unnecessary tourneys during the summer. Let the players have a proper offseason. Theyre going from asia to the US to middle east. At the end of the day, its a mafia so money talks.

[@justinsm]

Why would you gone pre season to middle east and US? doesn't need to have pre-season against Al-NASSR and Inter Miami

[@dannysabbath2562]

​@@justinsm teams go there more for exposure. It's a money thing.

[@anakinskywalker212]

Great insight from Henry here. The mental side is definitely overlooked, he's spot on about everything

[@israellopez5762]

I don’t think so. Ask any kid from France if they would play 5 games a week to have a quarter of what Henry has made in his life from football. They would

[@JS67137]

The mental side? 🤣 They get more "recovery" days per year than the average person does days off. Imagine doing a 9-5 or 50+ years, trying to stay fit in our spare time, and getting paid their weekly wage in a year. They would know all about the mental side then. They can retire in 8-12 years and spend all their time doing whatever the hell they want.

[@MA-ck4wu]

​@@JS67137 Agree with your last point, but not your first. Regular people don't have to consistently perform in front of millions of people around the world. A mistake at your job can't compare to e.g. Gazzaniga's blunder tonight (Girona goalkeeper) against PSG. But it's not just blunders. The sheer pressure from ANY game, regardless of whether you are the main player on the squad, requires at least a couple of days to recover. Only very few people can handle this kind of constant, incessant pressure.

[@JS67137]

@MA-ck4wu Mate, the whole world could be watching me do my spread sheets at work every day, if enough people cared, for double my salary, never mind what these players get paid. They are well used to eyes being on them from an early age as well, I very much doubt that would be as big a factor as you think, especially with the more games you play you would get used to it. Every player has made plenty of mistakes before, and will make plenty again. It's part of the game. They have access to the best psychologists to tell them this sort of stuff. Besides, the argument from the players is that "they are not robots," it is nothing to do with pressure. They are just out of touch with the working man and think they are God's because they are spoiled and have never, and likely will never, have to live the life of the ordinary working man. They think they work harder than the rest of us.

[@anakinskywalker212]

@JS67137 The pressure of needing to perform your best always and having millions of expectations on your shoulders is not the same as changing sheets lmao. Thats like saying kings had an easy life because they're rich, but im sure having the weight of an entire nation on your shoulders and the duty to provide a thriving kingdom for your people, is not the same as a commoner doing farm work

[@Hhammer]

The whole situation is a farce. If a manager rests their players, and lose a game, they get told “you have to play your best XI” Then the players play too many games and quality drops or there are injuries. And then pundits and media and fans will say “well this is why we have bigger squads now” It’s all just contradictory

[@Ludydobry]

no it really is not. Youre getting almost half a million a week, stfu and play

[@justinsm]

Well, IDK. If it's a big match like El Clasico we can't play our sub players.

[@adrianbuck8772]

@@Hhammer I saw articel which was about the 8 guys with the highest playing time playing roughly 50% of the total playing time. And thats sums up the Problem. If your 1 of that 8 guys your playing basically every game every minute.

[@Hhammer]

@@justinsm yeah but say you’re Arsenal and you play Palace away and rest players and lose “Should have played your best XI” will come up continuously

[@KellysHeroes777]

100% spot on from Henry. You can do 99.9% of things right in your career but you will always be associated with that one bad thing. Look at Stevie, absolutely one of the best midfielders to play the game but he will be remembered firstly for that slip.

[@adityachaudhary9898]

@@KellysHeroes777 tchouameni always remember for penalty miss of 2022 WC FINAL, people will forget his great performance

[@RemofRenaissance]

Oh yea? That slip! I’d forgotten about that :-) You are right though. I always remember at the time Stevie G saying “we go again…” and everyone ridiculing him.

[@nont18411]

@@KellysHeroes777 To be fair, the only two fanbases who make fun of Stevie are Man United and Chelsea fans (none of them are in UCL this year, by the way). Other than that, people still consider him as one of the best midfielders. Even United and Chelsea still wanted to buy him at one point.

[@avibhau23]

@@KellysHeroes777 Gerrard "one of the best midfielders to play the game"?😂

[@stevesalkas9128]

Sure am😅😅😅

[@Ben-il3oc]

I see lot of social media post of fans criticizing players regarding this bc they paid lot. But interesting to find fans on KZbin being more understanding and agreeing w players.

[@franciscocruzcruz379]

Because places like insta have a younger crowd unlike yt, which has a much older audience

[@Ben-il3oc]

@@franciscocruzcruz379 thanks for that perspective. i saw lot of hate on twitter.

[@JS67137]

​@franciscocruzcruz379 And yet the older audience doesn't seem to grasp that these guys have had months, weeks, or years where they have earned more than we have in our entire lives. Think about that.

[@Frank-dr9tc]

@@JS67137 they’ve dedicated they’re lives for it.

[@hills863]

Agree here, I think fans in KZbin more mature compared to fans in Instagram. We also know what's it feels fatigued from work even the work we love so much, while younger fans don't have that empathy because they never experience it

[@eliasshumetie6997]

I love the honesty from titi. What he said works not only in football but also in life. I can relate to what he said when he talked about letting down Arsenal in the champions league final and the fact that it still haunts him. When you are the guy your family and friends look upto, you will try to live to that level of expectations but it is not easy. Mental health matters and trying to find the balance is the best way to go.

[@JS67137]

Can you relate to him earning your yearly salary every week? Can you relate to him, his kids and grandkids not having to lift a finger if they so choose?

[@rajakhan12346]

​@@JS67137exactly

[@jessymangala78]

@@JS67137 Why are you so mad?

[@garv04]

Why are you so cringey​@@JS67137

[@andrewwright4195]

​@@jessymangala78because it boring them cry every day they get 300k a week and have few matches a week wow so hard I have do so much walking for my job and without help I wouldn't be able to afford to live alone I work 6 days a week

[@leonardordel92]

Micah is so out of touch. We dont want more games. If it's stressful for us as it is, trying to catch up with results, squads, highlights, going to a game after work etc.; imagine how stressful it must be for the players! Micah just wants more games because it brings him more money.

[@delts9444]

This. Guy was one of the most injured players I’ve ever seen and he wants players to play more games which increases the risk of injuries? 😂

[@Machtkäse10]

Good point from titi there ragarding the mental part of the game

[@JS67137]

The mental side? 🤣 They get more "recovery" days per year than the average person does days off. Imagine doing a 9-5 for 50+ years, trying to stay fit in our spare time, and getting paid their weekly wage in a year. They would know all about the mental side then. They can retire in 8-12 years and spend all their time doing whatever the hell they want.

[@OB_600]

Its a football match not a brain sugery , and dont they get millions paid

[@TheJackdiripper]

Try the mental side of a normal guy going paycheck to paycheck working 60 to 80 hours a week. This argument is absolutely ridiculous..

[@therealzekeman]

Can't fix stupid huh. You taking a day off from work is vacation, pros on "recovery days" are actively working on the gym, exercise, media etc so they are still working and it takes a lot, don't use the money excuse that's what kids say

[@andrewwright4195]

​@@JS67137facts they have 5 subs too in the 80s they played same games with 1 sub

[@covenantmutema9423]

Didn't know Henry is affected by failing to win Champions legue for Arsenal...even up to this day...it still haunts him..

[@mateo-zq5wl]

He won it whats your point go bk too bed.

[@StephenCarrIsBald]

@@mateo-zq5wlbarely “won it”… went to Barcelona who were guaranteed to win it due to pep, Messi, puyol, eto’o, yaya, Busquets, Xavi, iniesta etc

[@mateo-zq5wl]

@@StephenCarrIsBald your making no sense little boy still won it wtf u talking about bedtime lad

[@joycemukuhi6324]

@@mateo-zq5wl henry neede to win one for arsenal , he should have never transfered

[@poloutz]

Disagree with Micah - fans do not want this many games per season, 79 is absolutely insane. It over saturates the game and all of the players, coaches and fans get exhausted. UCL did not need the reformat, FCWC was okay as it was, scrap FA Cup replays, UEFA Nation's League can be okay but overall there are just too many games and pointless competitions.

[@benhicks9481]

Id say nations league just replaced friendlies so didnt feel like any major increase there. Agree on FA cup point and FCWC. I dont mind the UEFA expansions however what I'd have liked to see to combat that is english that qualify for that do not enter EFL cup.

[@Matthew-bu7fg]

we don't need you snobby types in our game thanks. FA Cup replays can be hugely beneficial to teams.

[@kingjams]

This is why the World Cup is so good because it's an event we anticipate. 4 years of waiting.

[@Ludydobry]

say for yourself, I want even more games

[@poloutz]

@@Matthew-bu7fg FA Cup replays would be fine, if we also didn't have the additional UCL reformatted games, FCWC, UEFA Nation's League. The problem is we now are having to scrap traditions like FA Cup replays and League cup 2-leg semi finals to accommodate these new competitions. Just keep it like it was - old UCL style, old FCWC style, less international breaks which would then mean we can have traditional style of FA Cup and League Cup. The game did not need revamping and having these additional games, which they clearly only did for more money.

[@619ck154]

Players were playing 60-70 games in the sixties. When City won the treble 5 of their players played more than 50 games. When United won it in 99 7 players played more than 50. Its international football thats killing me. The fact Kane has accumulated 100 caps in less than 10 years speaks volumes about the sheer number of games

[@NIDELLANEUM]

I don't think international games have become that much more. They still play their games in March, June, September, October and November when there are no tournaments. What changed, though, is that fewer of these games are friendlies now, so you are expected to play your best almost all the time

[@shepardice3775]

Football was also completely different in the past. Nowadays everybody is expected to press and play fast flowing, attacking football. Attackers have way more defensive responsibilities, defenders have way more attacking responsibilities. Everyone on the pitch is covering more ground than they used to which plays a part in why they're so tired.

[@marcelo1458]

Are you seriously comparing football from the 60’s to now? They played at a snail’s pace back then with half the team just standing around picking their noses

[@justinsm]

Nah, for the 60's it's normal. Football 60 years ago is different compared to now. Let's say compare EUSOBIO to CR7. Complete different

[@danielsutter4565]

Quantity over Quality and in the end, what we fans are getting is more mediocre games as opposed to better games.

[@justinsm]

Yeah, i mean 2009 UCL final was very amazing and last season only a few good games to watch like real Madrid vs city. Other than that not so great.

[@2011hwalker]

They are massively diluting the meaning of the Champions League.

[@liamanderson6191]

It’s right but the top clubs also can’t complain about their squads if they are unwilling to use the bench player sometimes, give them a rest if it’s a big deal

[@Iskander448]

The problem is that the sponsors and fans DEMAND that certain players show up.

[@p.chinglembasingh1194]

Also the problem is that sometimes situation forces you to play your best players for the whole match like pinch situations, etc.

[@Dinoo1234]

Players aren't robots as they can't play every 2 days and they need time. I have no idea why Club World Cup and Champions league got expanded as they were fine as they were

[@andrewwright4195]

Mate they have 5 subs now in 80s they played 80 games and had 1 sub and it was rough

[@shanedoherty4698]

Is the champions league not the same number of games?

[@shanedoherty4698]

Never mind, two Extra games !

[@olbapoli4074]

They dont play every 2 days..

[@SK-kh2rs]

Tell them to take a wage cut so theres less pressure on clubs to come up with ways to generate money. Most money generated in football goes to the players

[@Wo_ist_Walter]

off topic: I just want to say what I love most about this show is how each and everyone RESPECTS each other. You really can see this when it comes to controversial or serious topics. They appreciate each other's opinion which makes them a great team

[@Espectro1680]

I been feeling lately players look miserable now . I watch old games. And players look joyfully full of energy creative play . Now they all look totally miserable .. I felt that way last couple or years . Ronaldo ( Brazilian ) and Ronaldinho are my favorite players . They had real joy when playing bye game . There is not player like that now . Looking vini jr. on Brazil right now he looks miserable .. they should make some of these tournaments every two years . Players need least two months or 3 off every year ..

[@Ludydobry]

lmao

[@olbapoli4074]

R9 wasnt smiling wuwn he got injured or in the 1998 final. You watching afew youtube clips doesbt mean anything

[@GoGetYourShinebox]

@@olbapoli4074 He never said he smiled ALL the time lmao and you pick one moment. For the majority of his career R9 played like he was enjoying himself

[@olbapoli4074]

@@GoGetYourShinebox he is basically saying "back in the day" players played less and were happy....that's not true. He picks a couple of player to make his point.

[@Espectro1680]

@@olbapoli4074 go watch any game from 10 years ago .. any team .

[@sinba.]

I've been saying that since post Covid. They jammed the schedules, milking everything out of matches but massively lowered the quality of football. This season is going to be even worse. Too much of the best thing in the world is bad. I've been watching football for a little over 3 decades. Not only it has become robotic, but now they're exhausted robots. There's barely any magic happening on the pitch anymore.

[@SK-kh2rs]

They try to generate all the money to pay the freakin players. Most money goes to the players and agents. Tell players to take a wage cut. We have 5 subs and modern players get to benefit from sports science. Players should stop crying

[@GoGetYourShinebox]

Football has peaked and now it’s just a matter of the greedy suits to take full control of it

[@JEGlobalConcepts]

Definitely playing too much games If you look at England, premier league, Fa cup, EFL cup, champions league or Europa league

[@lightingbolt8148]

They’ve always had these games and now they’re complaining

[@gsoma4022]

Is it more than 70?

[@JEGlobalConcepts]

@@lightingbolt8148 I know that I have been watching premier league and other leagues for a long time I guess I should have added that after playing all those game then to play World Cup, or UEFA nations league or something else in the summer the players really get no break

[@andrewwright4195]

You know they played these games in the 80s with 1 sub right not 5 ​@JEGlobalConcepts

[@alifpaltasya3821]

Then rotate the player. Give playing time to less importan player in less importan competition. It's not like those player gonna play in all competition anyway.

[@persistencemugwisi8172]

noo we don’t want these additional competitions…we want them healthy and enjoying what they do

[@Littledunc1]

The hours aren't as bad, but they have to spend so much time flying and travelling and being away from their family, that must really suck. Players are right to complain, not being able to see your family sucks. Finishing work and being half the world away, fortnight. Spending weekends in different cities. When families are normally off school. Hour wise it's like a normal job, but after work these players often don't get to see their families.

[@Ludydobry]

yeah yeah yeah, poor those young millionaires, such a tragedy for them to live this life, id compare them with coal miners from the 18th century ... LMAO

[@mcsg5053]

@@Ludydobry Yeah man it must be really hard for some of them sitting on the bench making 100k a week while hearing their teammates complain lol, i mean these top teams literally have guys from antiwork reddit that they paid 10s of millions for and are not using them, maybe coaches need to rotate more.. also this is only coming from top players playing at top teams in the world lol

[@olbapoli4074]

Thats life....dont like it? Leave football

[@qwerty1994ize]

@@Ludydobry Cry more 😢😢😢

[@rah-mown6392]

Most of them have tens of millions of dollars already. Have them retire then, if they want to see their families so bad.

[@timothy0123]

Clubs can register 18-24 players, while some players are saying too much football, there are players in the squads who has played 0 minutes. While i agree, football is being diluted with all these additional competitions, this does seem like a management issue, managers want to play the "stars" every game while they should trust and use their squads Players like Matheus Nunez at City, Kelvin Philips at city, Smith Rowe at Arsenal, these guys were not saying too much football, and had to leave coz they wanted to play. so it seems like a management issue rather than the fixtures being too much. Am i totally off the mark here ?

[@Iskander448]

You are because the fans, owners and sponsors keep demanding that certain players show up on the field. It is pretty telling that the players are not consulted when the EPL, La Liga, UEFA, FIFA and other football bodies get one of their bright ideas. It is the reason why I can no longer fault players like Mbappe who now treat the whole game as a business transaction. Why show loyalty to a sport that is designed to drain you mentally and physically? I am willing to bet that the next brilliant idea would be to play some games in the United States or Saudi Arabia- kind of like what happens in the NBA and NFL where some games are played in locations like London. It is getting ridiculous.

[@vPzWalkerx]

@@Iskander448 Owners and sponsors fair enough want the best players on the pitch, you're not going to pay someone 200-300k per a week to not play. Fans i disagree and think you just made that up because it supports your argument and its impossible to prove.

[@Iskander448]

@@vPzWalkerx Owners and sponsors work off demand from fans last time I checked. They will go where the money is. The fans are the ones who pay. If they don't pay, the owners don't make their money. If the players do not make regular appearances, guess who pays less in the long run. It's simple logic. Considering the billions they already make off those players, what will 10 less games cost the owners? Isn't this just stupid greed at the end of the day? In business there are long term operational costs especially when wear and tear of assets is involved. If your assets (players) break down, does that not affect your bottom line in the long run. Considering the time it takes to find players of similar quality, would the sensible thing not be to maintain said assets? Instead of making ignorant claims/statements, why not observe how sports are run in the United States? That will give you a clue of what awaits the football leagues if the owners/sponsors continue down this road.

[@AndrewBrown-y3o]

Right on as a fan I'm going to see the best players for my team playing at their highest level. If I don't get that then I might complain or boo in the stand and that my friend dictates the market.

[@vPzWalkerx]

@@AndrewBrown-y3o Why did Chelsea not include Cole Palmer in there Conference league squad then? There is games in which you can rest players and lots of big clubs do it during the domestic cups which created huge discussion about the importance of say the Carabao cup when Liverpool field there kids in every round Can you link me 1 game where a premier league club booed there team for fielding a weaker squad in a tie where there heavily favorites for like chelsea vs servette for example? Im curious about the details

[@Marc_Araujo]

I'd prefer less games and that they are of a higher quality...too many games deminishes the quality of potential games. P.S. The higher number of games will wreck the players over 30 quicker and retire them faster.

[@PED_Fraudiola]

So… a super league?

[@Marc_Araujo]

@@PED_Fraudiola No, the previous format of the CL was good enough...no super leagues.

[@PED_Fraudiola]

@@Marc_Araujo tbh i rate a super league. Usually the ucl doesnt get good until the qf but now we have opening day matches between giants The club world cup sounds like a terrible idea though

[@Marc_Araujo]

@@PED_Fraudiola That it does. I'd even bring back the "away goals" rule...I grew up on them mofos.

[@SK-kh2rs]

Not true. Players are lasting longer than the past

[@brandobatel]

As a fan, I want fewer games that mean more. Idc about all these extra leagues or tired players. It's too much. Who in the world is asking for more games???

[@andrewwright4195]

Take a paycut then if you want less games I can't work less to get the same money

[@brandobatel]

@andrewwright4195 not the same thing. They were paid well before getting all these games. That's like your boss giving you extra work that fewer people care about for next to no extra money. I was fine where we were. Who wants extra work?

[@andrewwright4195]

@brandobatel nurses and doctors should be on their wages no footballers they save lives

[@Ludydobry]

everyone wants to earn more for less work, even millionaire footballers, thing is, they can always say they are tired or knocked up so they cant play , you have others to replace them, try saying youre tired at your own work and you want more money for that , lets see how that goes buddy.

[@johnwesfin6925]

1 domestic league, 1 domestic cup (with no ET and no replays) & 1 European League and internationals only as world cup qualifiers, nothing more - (No friendlies nothing)- around 45-50 games - that should be the aim.

[@Matthew-bu7fg]

Spoken like someone that doesn't care for lower league football. Shame on you.

[@Rayado_26]

Agree. There's enough money in the game.

[@declanhooper2255]

If lower leagues are relying on replays for a sustainable income there is a big problem. I think the money from European and EPL tv deals should filter down the pyramid more

[@TheFlameMaster321]

You need friendly games to understand how the tea plays before season or get international players together before major qualifiers. It also helps lower level teams and countries the opportunity to play against top teams

[@OGTricksy]

Micah doesn't even no what the fans want, we been saying they play too much for years, wake up 🎉

[@MarkJohanna]

Love all players support whatever they do for the love of futbol

[@Delboy0]

Just don’t call it Futbol. Football was invented by the English pronounce it the English way please.

[@Olsjaz]

@@Delboy0 it doesn’t matter if it was invented in China, Germany, Poland or any other country, we’re going to write it the way that it sounds in our language.

[@Delboy0]

@@Olsjaz you are American, and they call it Futbol to differentiate it from the NFL, so pronounce it in the first language of the country which is English.

[@zi0]

Are football players playing too many games? No. Are football players who play in the Premier League playing too many games? Yes.

[@balisaani]

Top league players playing in top clubs play too many games. It's not just football (look at the NBA, look at top Tennis pros even). I remember reading years ago how Italian clubs were at an advantage vs all other European clubs bc there were only 16 teams in Serie A (vs 20 or more in all other leagues). At the end of the season, when semis and finals were played, Italian players always had that extra gear. In the US, the NFL (the most profitable league), the regular season is 16 games, the playoffs add another four. And done. Twenty games per year. And they make tons of money.

[@Manpro107]

I think either there needs to be a restriction on how many games each player is allowed to play per season for club football, or get rid of nations league and change UCL back to normal format

[@Delboy0]

To be honest they are the highest paid players ever in the sport, they have 5 subs now in all competitions so there is part of me who says, if you want less games, then reduce your salaries by half? I doubt they will do that. But I also understand the game is now played at a faster speed than ever before and players run around 14 miles per game, often at full speed, so that can’t be good for the body 78 times a season.

[@lizard4997]

The clubs still have the players playing in Asia and the US pre season 💵💵💵💵💵💵

[@rah-mown6392]

Pre season lasts a month. And at most there are 3 games. Is showing up for work for 2 hours once a week too much? 1-2 days recovery is all that’s needed. After that they’re good to play.

[@Drack83]

All the top teams have top players made up of 40+ 1st team players . They should introduce a rule that each player has to have a minimum of 5 appearances

[@benhicks9481]

5 starts, not just appearances or they'd just use that through subs.

[@tariqomer4678]

​@@benhicks9481They can go around that too you know. I saw a team once in the Estonian league subbing their 18 year old player after a couple of seconds in order to bypass a rule that forced teams to start young players.

[@sejungmyeong3105]

Fans do not want to watch ok gamea where players look tired. Fans want to watch great games where players are full of energy with strong passion for win. Too many games make players tired and get more injured. Players are not cattles.

[@raheem201231]

Let’s be real. Only the top teams play more games. Everton will play 4/5 cups games and 38 league that’s it. 43ish games for the season. The problem is Man City are so good they will be 70+ games.

[@ethanmcbee9556]

No sympathy for city players. They cheated their way into those games and bought the deepest bench. Rodri is deflecting their trial.

[@Ludydobry]

No simpathy for anyone, especially the top clubs where players earn tens of millions per year

[@rah-mown6392]

Mlb teams playing 162 games: 😐 I mean, that’s why they have substitutes, to rest players.

[@MattieBennett]

@@rah-mown6392Baseball is nowhere near as intense as football. If you’re a DH, you sit down for the majority of the game!

[@rah-mown6392]

@@MattieBennett Yes, because they get rested. Meaning your team will miss out on a player but they have a back up to take his place. If football managers play the same players in all their matches then it’s on them if players start to get injured.

[@alexinhoFCB]

IMO an easy fix 1. Reduce the number of teams in domestic leagues to 16 (8 games less per season) 2. Cut the bs new comp 3. Make qualifiers for qualifiers. In Europe every team has 2-6 bs games against San Marino and co. These games are 10/10 a W. I say if you have nations league make the D division teams fight for the qualifiers and maybe even some C division teams. That would reduce the number of games by another 2-4. 4. Make one cup in England instead of two 5. One less international friendly break All of these changes will make football more exciting. And would reduce the games by over 10 a season.

[@AmazinJ89]

These teams have squads of 25 and only ever use 15/16 players every week, city had Phillps and Nunes on the bench most of last season and rodri still wasn't rested. The schedule is getting ridiculous but alot of these teams cried for bigger squads, 5 subs and then hoard players in the squad

[@p.chinglembasingh1194]

Philips and Nunes were never anything near Rodri's level btw... Fans of top clubs want their clubs to win all the competitions that they compete in and so let's say Rodri is rested for a cup match and they lost that match and get eliminated, fans start to moan about not using Rodri, media starts criticising about not playing main XI players, etc. Now tell me will the manager let him rest???

[@rah-mown6392]

That’s more of a management problem lol

[@p.chinglembasingh1194]

@@rah-mown6392 A management problem where its always the star player who gets overplayed for the sake of the teams success... And the numbers of matches definitely doesn't help the case either...

[@pipe360ful]

Keep in mind, its not the players nor the clubs that want all of these games. Its the Federations such as UEFA AND FIFA

[@EElementzOfficial]

As a fan, I don't want more games. More games and more tournaments just over saturates the product. I am a fan of the NBA but I'll watch maybe 16 games of the 82 in the regular season. I usually tune in for the playoffs. I love football, but I also have a life. I do want the games that I tune in for to be quality games.

[@ahmedalomar1992]

The clubs always thinking about having more money by increasing number of games not by decreasing players salaries or transfer values. To have money you can pay less not just increase income.

[@Answerx32]

Excuse me, but cattle are not paid tens of millions a year. I agree that footballers need to play less games, but their wages also have to be lowered.

[@p.chinglembasingh1194]

Lowering the solution will not solve anything cause UEFA don't give a damn about players' salaries as they are not paying them...

[@Answerx32]

@@p.chinglembasingh1194 We are not only talking about UEFA competitions. The domestic competitions should also be taken into consideration. The clubs and the football associations in each country should also be held accountable.

[@p.chinglembasingh1194]

@@Answerx32 True that as well... I would rather watch my team play 45-50 high quality matches instead of mediocore 60-70 matches...

[@Answerx32]

@@p.chinglembasingh1194 I agree with you, but players also need to be paid less. Less matches, less working hours, less pay.

[@p.chinglembasingh1194]

@@Answerx32 The main question is if suppose players reduce their salaries whether UEFA will really reduce the number of matches played.. coz lets not forget UEFA is a revenue generating organisation and more the number of matches played more will be the revenue, they dont really care about how much players get paid. What they really care is the total number of matches played in a year...

[@Paul_425]

Capping the number of games individual players can play in a season would help manage fatigue, reduce injuries, and promote squad depth by providing more opportunities for younger or less-used players. This strategy would challenge managers to balance player rotation while maintaining performance across competitions. The system could foster long-term player health and allow clubs to develop talent more effectively, while still maintaining flexibility in case of injuries.

[@EJ0107]

crying about kicking a ball around for millions while people in the real world are breaking their backs in a 9-5 for peanuts.

[@Ludydobry]

lets all hold our hands and cry for these ballerinas that earn millions, lets send some wagons of thoughts and prayers while we are at it

[@SK-kh2rs]

Most of the money generated goes to the players as well

[@egoi6421]

They are actually working in the entertainment industry. Its their work. If you play piano or write books its the same industry.

[@neverstopexploring7772]

You are not a football fun , you have no idea what you talkin about... you can also give half of your salary to the poor without starve to death. . This players are the top , so they can complain about how much they want to "work". Are you the best in the World in your profession/job??? Its about performing , they want to be the best and keep giving the best football, and with this to many matches is impossible , hope you understand.

[@Ludydobry]

@@neverstopexploring7772 youre right, lets give them even more money for kicking a ball and they should play less. LMAO 🤣

[@devonsims8244]

Mental aspect doesn't get spoken about enough. You hear lots of people saying that the average person works 8 hours a day so these football players should be grateful considering the wages they receive. The difference is that the average person doesn't have millions around the world watching and criticising your every move on the job. There are massive expectations to live up to as a footballer, not to mention the high risk of injury every season now.

[@KabuyeMichael-q7g]

Clubs should increase the squad and restrictions on coaches on players not play 5 games as a single player in row ,cause what I know more games means more earnings, which means if man city can leave KDB and we mc atee playing and more and more rotations can be done.lets embless it by finding new ways of dealing with it coz it's going to be interesting

[@mugabeisaac5191]

Reduce wages,expand the squad,include many payers

[@njongomato]

As fan, I feel that there's an oversaturation currently with football - I'm just not bothered to keep up anymore. The Champions League is currently on and I haven't even watched a single game. Give these players a break to allow a better product on the pitch for us fans.

[@ponr]

I think they do play too many games. This year's Euros (even Copa America too) weren't very good, partly because the players were knackered at the beginning of the tournaments. Take Bellingham for example, he seemed to be spent by the 2nd group game and looked like he was running at half capacity for the rest of the tournament. Haaland had a long break and has been the standout by far in the Premier League - arguably this may have happened anyway but he is by far the sharpest/hungriest off the start line this year.

[@IBLIZA23]

I think a good indicator i saw recently was comparing players today and 10-20 years ago. I think the stat i saw was that someone like Declan Rice has already played 70% of the amount of minutes Scholes, Beckham had done in their entire career. Rice still has possibly 6-8 years left to go till the end of his career and he wasn't even playing in Europe or for England till the last 2+ seasons.

[@samizayn5666]

EUROs was pretty awful with only España and Germany playing great football. Copa America was great though. Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay played great football and you had suprising performances of Canada and Venezuela.

[@domx-2737]

That's one of the reason they go to Saudi. More money and more time to spend with family. Saudi is really smart taking advantage of this situation

[@abualram2]

why they don’t decrease numbers of teams in PL to 18 instead of 20, like Germany , France . Why have Carabao Cup and FA cup ? Cancel Carabao Cup.

[@josephajibowo-wp2rw]

Why do they increase the competitions? The pl has been 20 teams since inception.

[@AM2K2]

English football pyramid goes deeper than any other country

[@verbon47]

Lets start with giving the players a proper winter break, like every other league.

[@zelalemtesfaye6875]

David Luiz: “It is funny, some people talk about how to win the Premier League, but they have never won it. Jamie Carragher never won the Premier League. They talk and say, ‘This player is not right for this league’, yet I won the league. These people have forgotten the past.

[@mikelitorous5570]

Get rid of the club World Cup, Nations League or reduce international friendlies so that it’s only qualifiers and tournaments, change the UCL format back to normal. Bring back FA cup replays up until the 5th round

[@garrymoynes3439]

You all wanted for players to shut up, stop moaning and be robots. Now youre crying about football falling off, the panel are absolutely spot on. Actually start having empathy for footballers for once

[@bigrandomun9267]

The issue with this is that a large percentage of the public will always ignore these requests as they only look at the money and the career and I think that dissuades so many people away from supporting it. How many times do you see people replying to these comments saying things like ‘I work 40+ hours in a factory and get no break. Why should these guys get one for kicking a football and making 10k+?’ or something similar. It is so frustrating to see the narrative that because these are footballers, they are treated as something other than human beings who have limits. It’s sad to say but I think it will only be taken seriously once a top young player from a big club has their career ended because they can’t recover from an injury because of the amount of games they had. It’s sort of happened already with Pedri a couple of years ago.

[@Ludydobry]

accept less pay, play less games, its very easy, dont cry like a woman about it.

[@p.chinglembasingh1194]

​@@Ludydobryare you dumb? Do you really think its about the salary? Playing almost 80 matches a season is no joke... When will you recover your body? Do you really want to watch a match of just side ways passing and less running cause they are not able to recover properly? Seriously so dumb man...

[@thefebo8987]

Players take the money too. Who are the players who say they would accept less money for fewer games? I don't see any.

[@oliverbooth2363]

They’re right. Henry’s point on the Euros is a brilliant example. But it’s all money, the players get such a large chunk of the overall pie (80% of the tops clubs revenue) that the industry has to come up with ways to generate more. It’s all about growth. No one likes it, but players wages IS a large factor in why there’s such a need to play more games.

[@blacktaxidriver7520]

I thought there were 25 players in a quad i didnt realise there was only 11

[@qwertyutopia4667]

@@blacktaxidriver7520 you say that but look at the nba. The superstars play 55-60 of the 82 regular season games and the fans and league get mad because they don’t play.

[@czabialonzo425]

I think it's not because of the number of games, but because of the intensity of the games which is increasing, THIS is only the first season when the number of games increased (new UCL format and the Club World Cup), 10 years ago there were players that played an even bigger amount of minutes without any complaints

[@lfcspectre4335]

Funny how everyone complained about Klopp talking about this matter for years, yet are the ones who are complaining.

[@ygsd5391]

Bruno playing the most games in the PL 🤯 no complaints and hasn't even missed double digit games since hes been with Manchester...under rated

[@elleonken7599]

Cry me a river. When you look at other professions, the packed schedule, the trash salary, probable bad working environment.... that's what you call real mental and physical pain. In fact, we don't have to look at other professions, lower leagues players play more or less the same amount of games in much worse conditions for less money.

[@yt2530]

They dont play international or European football. They also dont play the same quality or level. Its a whole different ball game.

[@theinsanesage28]

How many people care about lower leagues worldwide?

[@elleonken7599]

@@yt2530 They also don't get anywhere near the same salary. A top player in the PL has the same salary as an entire squad in lower leagues. You can't just have all benefits without any added "pressure".

[@yt2530]

@@elleonken7599 Thats because theyre better players that play against better players. Its like saying a top quality experienced surgeon should be getting paid the same as a uni graduate or actors like the Rock should be getting paid the same as someone that performs at a drama. You get paid depending on how high up the ladder you are. Simple. That doesnt mean if you are higher up the ladder you should be expected to overwork yourself because you earn more money. They earn more because they are worth more as they generate more money. Not difficult to understand.

[@elleonken7599]

@@yt2530 Once again, we are not talking about some players playing 10 games while others play 100 games. The difference in games played is not as big as people think, otherwise that would imply that all teams reach the finals. It's a mentality problem. The best example is NBA, players in the Jordan era and even before that, barely used to miss any games, while players these days are used to "load management". In this day and age, players in all sports travel quite comfortably, get paid quite handsomely, which leads to plenty of them to get spoiled, lose the drive to keep going, and start complaining about every little inconvenience. as if its the end of the world.

[@AnteNDH1]

From 99 to 2003 champions league finalists had to play 17 games if they wanted play the final. Last season finalists had to play only 12... And they still complaining on fatigue, bla bla..

[@ih8mcfly]

Wow, these plays show up to work 100-120 times for 90minute shifts , over 2 years and get paid millions. Cry me a river.

[@Iskander448]

Go cry yourself a river. It's quite pathetic listening to people whining about others who achieved something with their talent.

[@shepardice3775]

Shows how ignorant you are lol. What about practice? Rehab and recovery? Workouts and film sessions? Is all of that not time spent on the job?

[@SECYBERSAFE]

But why can't the clubs have teams for every competition, let your second 11 play cup matches and let the main 11 concentrate on epl and European comps... But when you have the same 11 always involved in everything, then that's the problem. Players also want to get paid a lot, but where's the money coming from. It's a tricky conversation, but what I know is that there are people who want to be in such positions... Yet some are complaining. Just find what works.

[@coparo91]

The fans don't want more games.

[@vjgaming4066]

Never seen TH14 get this serious and emotional. And we feel you. That CL final gives me nightmares as well.

[@ceronibalsamar5352]

Football has evolved significantly over the years. Seventy years ago, a player would play a maximum of 40 games in a season. Today, the number of games has increased dramatically. However, back then, teams relied on their 11 best players, with less experienced substitutes used only in extreme cases. Now, clubs have world-class talent sitting on the bench, making squad rotation not just important, but essential. Rotations help manage players' workloads and also give fans the chance to see a variety of players and playing styles. This opens up new tactical possibilities, making the game more exciting, dynamic, and unpredictable. So, if you're a player complaining about the number of games, it's simple: sit down. There's always someone ready to step up. Remember, you're a millionaire. If you want your paycheck to grow, playing more games comes with the territory. You're not the only one facing the demands of modern football-if someone else can handle it, so can you. If not, step aside because there’s always someone eager to take your spot.

[@KatrinaValid]

@@ceronibalsamar5352 perfectly said, it's our human nature to not accept change but it's also our human nature to adapt and if you can't then step aside because it's not your time to shine

[@GoGetYourShinebox]

Rotating players makes the game more exciting? Never heard that one before. I think the players have a right to question the schedule. You just want them to obey and let the suits do whatever they want with the game? You want them to be good little puppets? Lol

[@Lro-550X]

Henry was incredibly brave for opening up like this. Being this honest is not easy.

[@jiminycrint]

Micah is wrong. There were plenty enough games before they expanded the champions league some years ago, before the club World Cup, before the nations league.

[@fishyfish6510]

Potentially 79 games in a season is wild 😵. Prime Messi and Ronaldo played like 50-60 games a season

[@ae1212]

As a fan do you know how livid I am that Odegaard was injured in a pointless UEFA nations game. It’s ridiculous I’ve had enough of pointless international friendlies and stupid completions midway through a. Season

[@emmyclement3231]

And it's all because he didn't have a summer break and played at the euros right? 😂😂😂 Injuries are part and parcel of football. Live with it

[@danielrostirolla5442]

On one hand I like that the extra games gives other players a chance to step up and makes more opportunity, on the other it feels wrong for key players that play every match

[@davidofergals6947]

Imagine having to work for a living.........

[@cdrmotive8296]

For real these people make millions to kick a ball and still complain

[@realdawgg420]

As a fan, I would rather see my players play 40-45 games at their best level instead of watching them for 60-70 games in which they can’t perform to their best. Maybe uefa/fifa could just remove club world cup and nations league, these tournaments really don’t matter tbh.

[@realdawgg420]

Not all of us think that way Micah 6:42

[@RajuAhmed-sy7ys]

Reduce the number of champions league pre 2000 format, reduce international friendlies, end nations league, ban mid season club tours, reduce start of season club tours to 2 games, have 6 subs for all type of matches.

[@chikasuryani]

Sept 20: Atalanta vs Arsenal Sept 21: Man City vs Arsenal wtf?

[@bhsamuraii]

3 day gap

[@rollercoaster478]

We've had 16 games in UCL so far, how many have been actually interesting? Three? Four? Quantity over quality unfortunately. Less games mean better performance from the players, less injuries, better quality of game overall.

[@excelagangan9231]

Like this comment if you feel madrid will win UCL❤

[@carl5959]

Christmas is Christmas because it's once a year. Sports leagues need to hang that onto their walls and understand that, yes, too much of even a good thing can be bad. We're at that point with football, the nba, formula 1 and many other sports aren't far off.

[@SuperCapuka]

You know there’s too many games when you as a football fan start missing cup games and uefa nations league.

[@tsouskas33]

Rodri is 28 years old and has in 2 years, almost half the appearances Micah had in his whole career xD

[@_samuel9727]

Pep’s Barca played around 60 games in their biggest season. Man city, if they go far in all tournaments, could play up to 88 games. That is insane

[@andyrav9883]

Abolish the Conference League,Nations League , club League Cup Matches and especially the international friendly... Why not FIFA use the world cup/euro/south america/asia or africa qualifiers as a "pre match warm up" right before or 1 month before the main MAJOR TOURNAMENT meaning that can prevent league distruption(international breaks) more rest among players every 2 years or so For example if they lack international friendlies and league cup ,league matches can end by April then the players rest for 2/3 weeks before playing their international qualfiers and then playing the main tournament 1 month later... A proper roadmap for a new schedule can start the new league season in October and end by April if there's no interruptions mid/during the season...allowing more rest and recovery time especially during major tournaments....that end in July

[@TVEXPERT.Co.]

Totally agree with Titi. As a fan i used to wait for the weekend to watch my team play. But, now they play 2 or sometimes 3 games every week.

[@dingo702]

It is wild, at the beginning of the season, players being rested instead of buzzing to get on the field.. that's backwards

[@HappyLoader]

Henry:" They are playing too many games for me." Are they getting too much money ? Rodi is getting 220,000 quids per week regardless of performance or not playing. He can be injured and not play or not selected for that week and he can still get his money.

[@benjiradach1361]

Diminishing returns. The higher supply, the lower the quality. I don't know any fan who wants low quality football.

[@medean6492]

Thierry Henry such a solid guy took a picture with him in the four seasons hotel in Beijing China 🇨🇳,he was on the phone asked me to wait for a second he called me back !! My instagram pic will never change !! Me and Henry … solid dude !! What a guy .. I’m South African not Chinese but the dude was solid. Hate comments as usual let’s see

[@bizarresportynerd6136]

Football should just evolve. Managing players minutes appropriately. Using the full squad. Getting young players involved more.

[@chriscotterill2267]

The problem is the solution is less games, but then there has to then be a discussion on less salary for players. Players unsurprisingly don't want this. Also this only affects the top 10% of players.

[@092rhythm5]

300k every week for 80 games in 365 days is nothing to complain about. Firefighters never complain about too much fire, a banker never complains about too much numbers. This is a sport for Men, not feminists.

[@GEELASOUNDTV]

No amount of money can stop injury and fatigue from too many ffixtures

[@roamey]

38 game league, 5 league cup games, 6 FA cup games, 13 champions league games. There should be no replays and no extra time before semi finals. No international friendly matches during the season unless it’s a euro/World Cup year, limit it to 4 matches. 5 home grown players in every squad regardless of the competition. Give them their winter break after or before Xmas, Xmas football is sacred and should always be available.

[@cdaj_0550]

People act like because they make millions they shouldn't complain, but it's exhausting on your body.

[@SteviG9]

I didnt hear anything about salary cuts from the players or their agents...

[@mistazed1170]

As someone who works in a corporation I can confirm I’m treated like cattle as well.

[@damo666]

These players could stop at anytime and retire with the money they have. Stop complaining