Criticism of the schedule: two weeks of the Nations League – why?

Two weeks Nations League in a row – in the football summer of 2022, overwork of the players, overestimation of the games and oversaturation of the fans are criticized. But how did this plan come about?

“Four games is just too much after such a long season”said national coach Hans Flick. “You should take the whole thing and ask yourself: How can you give the players a break?” He is not alone in his criticism.

“The Nations League is unimportant in my eyes”said the Belgium international Kevin De Bruyne. “They’re just hyped friendlies, I’m not looking forward to it.” The Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk addressed the risk of injury after the season, the schedule of the Nations League he called “strange”. And France’s association president Noel LeGraet said: “This calendar is amazing. There are too many games.” The game plan is primarily a consequence of the postponement of the World Cup in Qatar to the end of the year (November 21 to December 18).

The World Cup in winter, the Nations League in summer

The two otherwise usual international game windows in October and November are omitted because of the World Cup organized by FIFA. This left UEFA with only the summer and the window in September to host the group matches of the Nations League to hold events that would otherwise have taken place in September, October and November. The games run every day for 13 days Nations League.

From a sporting point of view, the competition is by no means worthless: playoff-Places in the European Championship qualification will be awarded, the seeding list for the group draw for the European Championship qualification will also be in the Nations League determined. But should you send the players, some of whom are at the breaking point, to four more games? The criticism from players and coaches is clearly aimed at UEFA.

Hardly any association raised public objections

However, UEFA is also the sum of its parts, the national associations. And they could have had an impact. One body of UEFA is called the National Team Competitions Committee. According to UEFA, for example “Recommendations regarding proposed changes to the existing national team competitions” away.

Germany is represented here by national team director Oliver Bierhoff, who is just before the two-week Nations League-window said the competition did “grown in importance, in prestige”, even if it is not comparable to the World Cup and European Championship. France, the Netherlands and Belgium also hold one seat each on the body.

The UEFA Executive Committee, in which the DFB is represented by Rainer Koch, discusses and decides on any proposed changes. The Netherlands are also there Just Spee one member, France’s federation president Le Graet sits influentially on the FIFA Council for UEFA. But at least in public there were no objections when the UEFA Executive Committee in September 2021 the general conditions of the Nations League 2022/23 including the current two weeks in a row.

Nations League has become economically important

One reason could be: the money. In the 2020/21 financial year, UEFA took in €5.7 billion – a record in the organisation’s history. 647 million of them brought the Nations League together with the European Championship qualifiers and friendlies. In this area there was because of the introduction of the Nations League a huge increase.

And most of that money ends up with the national associations. The DFB reported around 60 million euros in 2019 and around 49 million euros in 2020 as income from the senior national team – a considerable proportion of which comes from the Nations League. When football first came to a complete standstill during the pandemic and was later played in the stadiums without fans, no association resisted this income.

Hardly any national association would readily agree to a waiver of the Nations League. The basic problem was summarized by UEFA tournament director Martin Kallen in an interview with the Neue Zürcher Zeitung in the summer of 2020. “It would cost us dearly if we Nations Leagueround would have to be cancelled.” Over 100 million euros per game day Nations League be that. “If we can’t find a replacement, we’ll have to pay the broadcasters back.” Money that UEFA – and thus the national associations – would lack.

No relief for the players in sight – on the contrary

While many fans are not turning away from the TV ratings, many players are tired. The international players’ union FIFPRO always warns of overload. Real Madrid’s Luka Modric, for example, played 24 games in a row at the end of 2020, with a break of no more than five days, according to FIFPRO in a survey of player stress. “We are athletes, not machines. Our bodies and minds have natural limits”reads a foreword signed by several players.

It is not foreseeable that these conditions will change – on the contrary. An extension of Champions League by 64 games from the 2024/25 season is decided, including the Europe league and the conference league are enlarged. In autumn 2024, two more preliminary round days will be added in all three competitions. During this time there are other dates: The group games of the Nations League 2024/25 should then be played again in the usual international game windows in September, October and November.