Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne has voiced concerns over the potential for player burnout as the football calendar becomes increasingly congested. Teammate Bernardo Silva has slammed the 'absolutely absurd' fixture pile-up that sees City playing two games in just three days later this month, amidst their Champions League and Carabao Cup duties.
Following international duty, City players are thrust back into midweek matches, with an unprecedentedly long season ahead due to the expanded Club World Cup.
The tournament, mimicking an international competition, will see 32 teams battle it out in the United States next summer for a month to crown the world's best club team in 2025, with City qualifying after their 2023 Champions League triumph. However, with the 2025/26 season commencing early to accommodate rest before the 2026 World Cup, De Bruyne is already foreseeing complications due to the packed schedule.
"The real problem will emerge after the Club World Cup," De Bruyne remarked.
"We know there will be only three weeks between the Club World Cup final and the first Premier League match. So, we have three weeks to rest and prepare for another 80 matches.", reports the Manchester Evening News.
"Maybe this year things will be okay, but next year could be problematic. The Professional Footballers' Association in England and other player associations have tried to find solutions.
"The issue is that UEFA and FIFA keep adding extra matches, and we can raise concerns, but no solutions have been found. It seems that money speaks louder than the players' voices."
