World footballers' union FIFPro has expressed concern
over the incoming UEFA Nations League competition, which was announced on
Thursday.
UEFA's 54 member nations voted to bring in the
tournament, which will act as a replacement for the majority of international
friendly fixtures, from 2018.
The league will be made up of various groups and pools
with teams fighting it out for extra spots at UEFA's European Championships,
while also battling for promotion and against relegation.
While FIFPro commended UEFA for their attempts to replace
friendlies with competitive games, the body also outlined a number of potential
issues players participating in the Nations League may face.
For instance, two such problems put forward by the
organisation were the increased strain faced by players playing in more
competitive games and the possible restrictions it will cause for youngsters
looking to gain international experience.
"It should be clear that there is a difference in a
friendly match and a competitive match," said Tijs Tummers, FIFPro
director of player services, in a statement.
"As we understand, the Nations League will be
another prestigious competition. As a consequence, that implies an increase in
the workload for the group of top players."
In terms of scrapping friendlies, Tummers expressed doubt
over whether doing so represents a pressing priority at the top of the game.
"Mostly, the countries organise a friendly against
an opponent of equal quality," he added.
"What should be thought over is the amount of
qualifying matches between teams that have an enormous gap in talent level.
"Very often you see a match between nations that are
more than 100 places separated from each other on the FIFA rankings. Even with
the new Nations League, those matches will remain on the international match
calendar."
Culled from Soccerway
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