In an interview with German media, Leverkusen midfielder Robert Andrich stated that UEFA and FIFA are constantly increasing schedules for money, completely disregarding the welfare of players. However, Andrich also believes that the multi-front attacking Leverkusen, due to its depth in personnel reserves, is likely to benefit in the new season.
Becoming a member of the German national team, Robert Andrich noted that he has clearly felt the impact of the dense schedule on himself. Previously, he only needed to focus on club competitions, but with the addition of national team matches, it has left him somewhat overwhelmed.
Andrich believes that UEFA’s constant increase in Champions League qualifiers, along with FIFA’s addition of the revamped Club World Cup, completely disregards player welfare. “It used to feel like the winter break was getting shorter and shorter, now even the summer off-season has been shortened. The constant increase in the Champions League schedule, combined with World Cup qualifiers and the Club World Cup, has made players not want to play anymore.”
In Andrich’s view, UEFA and FIFA’s constant increase in the schedules of various tournaments is entirely for money, making life difficult for the players.
However, Andrich also indicated that for Leverkusen, this could very well be a good thing. “Our team has added quite a few players, and the strength between starters and substitutes is close. For us, this is likely to be a good thing, giving us the opportunity to win more honors.”