“At the absolute limit”: Bayern-Tuchel complains after the international break

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With a win on Friday evening against Cologne (kick-off 8.30 pm, live on Blick in the ticker), Bayern will storm back to the top of the Bundesliga – at least overnight. Coach Thomas Tuchel’s mood is still not rosy.

The reason for the 50-year-old’s somber expression is the football calendar. Last Tuesday, the German national team and several Bayern regulars came into action against Austria (0-2). Three days later the players have to return to work at the club. Too much of a good thing for the professionals?

«Emotionally tired. Physically tired.”

Tuchel is not shy with his opinion at the press conference prior to the Bundesliga matchday: “People want to see the best players play football with pleasure and enthusiasm. That is at the absolute limit of the calendar, if not above it.”

The condition of the players, some of whom only arrived at the club on Thursday after the international break, is worrying: “They are mentally tired, they are emotionally tired, they are physically tired,” says Tuchel.

The example of Bruno Fernandes (29) shows what Tuchel means. The Portuguese has been a favorite on the football field for years. Last season he played 70 competitive matches with the national team and his club Manchester United. That’s an average of one match every four days. It is the highest in European football.

However, the burden will hardly decrease in the future. On the contrary. Tuchel is also on board with this: in addition to the European Championship, there will also be the Champions League in the new format in 2024. “Next year there will be two more Champions League matches, there will be a tournament in the summer, that is just the limit.”

Other coaches also complain

Thomas Tuchel is not alone with his concerns. Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola (52) also sees it this way: “More games are impossible. The structures are not designed for that.” He expects this will lead to more injuries. “UEFA knows. Does she care? Absolutely not,” the Spaniard himself answers the question.

Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp (56) has already spoken in more detail about the persistent problem of multiple stress: “There is only one direction this leads, and that is against the wall.” There are “too many different stakeholders. Everyone moves, no one thinks about the players. Not one. “Not really.” “A sensible solution must be found. “It does not consist of constantly inventing and expanding new competitions,” complains the German.

Star striker Kylian Mbappé (24) from the player camp drew attention to the risks of the many matches at the Fifpro Congress in May 2022. ‘Too much is too much. We like to play. But if people want to see high-quality football, we must also pay attention to the health of the players.”

Ceferin argues with money

UEFA is one of the players in the industry that ensures that the calendar becomes increasingly busy. Chairman Aleksander Ceferin (56) promptly shows little understanding for the complaints of players and coaches. «It is easy to always attack FIFA and UEFA. But those who play less also earn less salary.” He makes a somewhat unusual comparison: “The people who should complain are the workers in the factories with a monthly wage of a thousand francs.”

This means that the discussion for Ceferin is over for the time being. And Bavaria? After the match against Cologne, the German record champion again does not really have much time for relaxation. The Champions League match against Copenhagen is already on the calendar on Wednesday. (Gentlemen)

Source : Blick