Fri Oct 11 19:44:03 UTC 2024: ## Football’s Packed Calendar: Nagelsmann Predicts More Games, Not Fewer

**Munich, Germany:** Despite growing calls for a reduction in the number of football matches, Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann believes the calendar will only become more congested in the future.

“I have often said that I won’t complain about the calendar,” Nagelsmann told a press conference ahead of Germany’s Nations League match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. “A lot of matches are financing this sport. You have to have a healthy balance, but I don’t think there will be fewer games in the future. There will be more matches, and we should be talking about how to structure the breaks (between competitions).”

Nagelsmann pointed to the example of the NBA and NFL, where players enjoy months-long breaks despite playing a greater number of matches than most footballers. “NBA players play 85 games or so, but then have a long break. The NFL has a long break. We don’t have that in football. The players just don’t get any break,” he said.

The expanding Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup formats, alongside the growing number of national team competitions, have created a packed schedule for top players. This is further complicated by the fact that many top footballers are already busy with national team duties early in the European summer, and will now have to adapt to the new Club World Cup format starting next year.

While FIFA has defended its calendar as necessary, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has acknowledged that the issue primarily affects a minority of players.

Germany currently leads Nations League Group A3 with four points after two matches, ahead of the Netherlands on goal difference.

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