One of the best players in the world, Manchester City ace Erling Haaland, has expressed concern about the jam-packed fixture calendar. The Norwegian believes it is humanly impossible for players to be at their sharpest across a 70-game season.
Manchester City Players Were Among The Most Overworked In 2023-24
Manchester City won the Premier League title, the UEFA Champions League trophy, and the FA Cup in the 2022-23 season. Thanks to their success, they played more matches than any other team across the top five European leagues. Their season began with the FA Community Shield against Arsenal. Then, they took on UEFA Europa League winners Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup. Down the line, they took part in the FIFA Club World Cup, competing against the best continental teams across the globe.
To top it off, there were the usual four competitions — Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup — to keep them on their toes. According to Transfermarkt, Phil Foden played 69 matches for club and country throughout the 2023-24 calendar — 62 of which came prior to England’s EURO 2024 campaign.
Foden, who won the Premier League Player of the Season in 2023-24, looked fatigued throughout the EURO 2024 tournament and received criticism for not living up to expectations. Haaland, however, knows and understands why his club teammate could not deliver.
Erling Haaland Uses EURO 2024 Example To Bemoan Fixture Congestion
At a press conference during Manchester City’s pre-season tour, Haaland said:
“We all saw in the Euros how tired people were. You could see the level, you could see even in people’s faces how tired they were of football if you can say it that way.
“That’s how it will be as well this season, not in the start, though maybe for some because some will not get a lot of vacation. But that’s the way we’re going now, I don’t think we can be sharp in every single game. We can try, but it’s difficult to be sharp if you play over 70 games a year.”
Haaland and Co. are currently preparing for the upcoming season in the United States. Having already faced AC Milan and Celtic, the English champions will meet Barcelona and Chelsea before returning to England for the FA Community Shield clash with Manchester United on August 10.
