Hoffenheim coach Christian Ilzer calls Nations League ‘too much’ for football’s packed schedule

Ilzer takes aim at football’s crowded calendar

Hoffenheim head coach Christian Ilzer has criticised UEFA’s fixture schedule and the Nations League, arguing that players are being asked to cope with too many matches and too little recovery time.

Speaking after Hoffenheim’s 3-0 Europa League victory over Lyon, Ilzer said: “UEFA’s schedule is insane.” He pointed to recent injuries in the Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich squads, including Bayern forward Luis Díaz, who is expected to miss four to six weeks with a thigh injury sustained against Arsenal.

‘You don’t need an artificial Nations League’

Ilzer said clubs try to adapt players’ daily routines, but matches every three or four days leave little opportunity to avoid muscular problems. He added that the demands are heightened by the approaching FIFA World Cup, with many players having had little or no time off to recover.

According to Kicker, Hoffenheim released 18 players for international duty during the September-October break. With another international window approaching, Ilzer said the calendar offered players scant respite.

“The focus for national teams should be the European Championship and the World Cup,” he said, describing those tournaments as major highlights for players and national associations. “That’s what you should be working towards, that’s what you have to qualify for. You don’t need an artificial Nations League. In my opinion, the Nations League is simply too much for what the schedule can handle.”