Liverpool's goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, has expressed his concern about the increasingly busy football calendar. The Brazilian has complained about the fact that no one takes the opinion of the players ahead of proposals leading to more matches, such as the case of the new UEFA Champions League format. Last season, Liverpool played a total of 58 games. This season, if "The Reds" go all the way to the end of every competition, they will play a full 65 games.
Alisson Becker commented:
"Sometimes nobody asks the players what they think about adding more games. Maybe our opinion doesn't count, but everyone knows what we think about more matches. Everyone is tired of it.”
The Brazilian added:
"We are not stupid, we understand that people want more matches. But the most responsible thing to do is for all parties responsible for the calendar to sit down together and listen to all voices, including the players... If you're tired you can't compete at the highest level. What I want to do is give my best in all the matches I play. At the moment, it seems we are not close to a solution for the good of football and the players."
Manchester City's Swiss defender Manuel Akanji also humorously quipped that he may give up playing football when he turns 30 due to his busy schedule. Meanwhile, the coach of Liverpool, Arne Slot, has said that he can judge the new format of the UEFA Champions League only at the end of the season. The Dutch technician also said that at the moment, no one has the solution to the problem of the busy calendar.
