UEFA President responds to congested football calendar criticisms amid strike threats

President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Aleksander Ceferin, has reacted to criticisms from some footballers over the loaded nature of the football calendar.

According to him, he finds it bewildering why the players with higher salaries are the ones voicing out against the football calendar and not those who earn less.

He asserted that the more matches played, the higher the income generated by the teams to run the clubs and be able to pay higher salaries to top players to meet their demands.

Ceferin added that this is part of the reason players who earn lower salaries and teams with fewer players are not adding their voices to the complaints.

"Players complaining about the calendar? Who is complaining? Those who have higher salaries and those who have 25 top-level players. Those who earn less and only have 11 players don't complain and they love to play," he said, as shared by Madrid Universal on X.

He commented after high-profile players from major European leagues warned football federations that they may go on strike if the congested football calendar is not revised.

They argued that playing over 60 games in a single season is harmful to their health due to the immense stress involved.

Among these players are Rodri from Manchester City, Dani Carvajal from Real Madrid, Jules Koundé from FC Barcelona, and Virgil Van Dijk from Liverpool, among several others.

Watch the video below:

Ceferin (UEFA president): "Players complaining about the calendar? Who is complaining? Those who have higher salaries and those who have 25 top-level players. Those who earn less and only have 11 players don't complain and they love to play." pic.twitter.com/BhGOmZmyka

— Madrid Universal (@MadridUniversal) October 14, 2024