If there was one thing at the Euros which was notable from the get go, it was how tired so many players looked, England in particular, and Stan Collymore has hit upon an ingenious idea to lighten the load for Premier League players.
It isn’t just an English top-flight problem, with the most successful sides across the continent playing far too many games now in any one season.
Aside from domestic cup competitions and the bread and butter of league football, there are Champions League/Europa League/Conference League games to get through on top of that for certain clubs.
Not to mention either Nations League games or qualifiers for the World Cup or European Championship.
A former professional himself, Collymore believes he has hit on the solution.
“There is an absolutely ridiculous amount of football played in a season nowadays and players, despite being in peak physical condition, just can’t cope with it. This was proven by several lacklustre displays in the EUROs,” he said in an exclusive interview.
“There is a reason Erling Haaland looks like a beast compared to other big-name strikers. He’s 100 per cent fit and fresh after having the summer off following Norway’s failure to qualify for the EUROs.
“If players are going to be expected to compete across multiple competitions, both domestically and internationally, then surely it’s time we thought about bringing in an appearance cap. I recommend a 50 appearance cap per player, per season, and then let the player decide how we wants to split his allowance.”
It would certainly need a sea change in attitude from the various authorities, but the idea isn’t perhaps as avant-garde as it seems.
Indeed, it would appear to be a perfectly sensible option that not only ensures a player’s longevity in the game – rather than burn out – but would help to provide a more appealing product for supporters, because will still be in peak fitness at all stages of the season.
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