Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has expressed his concerns about the demanding football calendar, attributing the club‘s increasing injury problems to the excessive number of games. He called for a reduction in the number of matches to alleviate the situation. Currently, Madrid is dealing with several injured players, including Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni who have recently returned from injuries, but Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos, Brahim Diaz, and David Alaba are still sidelined.
Ancelotti believes that it is not within the club’s control to address this issue but rather lies with football’s governing bodies. He stated that they have explored possible solutions but ultimately it is out of their hands. As Madrid prepares for their upcoming Champions League campaign consisting of eight games in the league phase, Ancelotti emphasized that the problem lies in a calendar that demands too much from players.
The Real Madrid boss also highlighted how the new Champions League format adds two extra games to an already packed schedule. While he acknowledged that it remains uncertain whether this new format will be more entertaining or not, he urged people to consider reducing the number of games in order to create more attractive competitions.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker has echoed similar sentiments regarding player welfare and criticized the expanded Champions League format for neglecting this aspect. The revamped competition now includes 36 teams organized into a single league table where each club faces eight opponents in pursuit of a spot in the knockout stages. However, this means some clubs may have to play up to ten games before reaching the last 16.
In addition to these challenges posed by European competitions, Real Madrid will also participate in other domestic and international tournaments such as La Liga, Copa del Rey, Supercopa de Espana, UEFA Super Cup as well as FIFA Club World Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup later on. This puts them at risk of playing up to 71 matches throughout this season.
