The voice of footballers cannot be ignored any longer when it comes to adding extra matches to the calendar, according to the head of the world players’ union. Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan tweeted about the changes last week, describing them as “the lesser of two evils” compared to the Super League and asking: “Is no one thinking about us players?”With all the Super League stuff going on… can we please also speak about the new Champions League format? “It’s in everybody’s interest – especially in the interest of bodies meant to represent the width of the professional football pyramid – to give those voices more account. “The reality was that none of the players actually knew a thing (about the breakaway) – none of them had been consulted. “Players need to be at their best when they play, and that is simply not 80 times a year,” he said.

Source: Express April 28, 2021 11:26 UTC