Aston Villa insider blasts money-driven UEFA as John McGinn shares mental health concerns
Bryan King has criticised UEFA for adding more games to their competitions after Aston Villa star John McGinn shared his concerns.
The ex-Villa scout believes UEFA’s decision to expand the European Championships and Champions League is financially motivated.
McGinn recently explained that players’ mental health is at risk with the number of fixtures “getting a little out of hand” (via The Guardian, 18 September).
And King – speaking exclusively to Villa News – agrees that there are too many matches being played.
“This new Champions League format, could someone explain it to me? Why not keep the simple format that they had before?” King said.
“It was the same with the European Championships, why do you want more teams in these tournaments? It is for television, and it is for money. There are a lot of unnecessary matches. Do we need all these international breaks and tournaments? It is all for money.
“People need to realise it is those players who are making these things worthwhile. If the quality of matches reduces, how long are the television companies going to want to keep paying money for it.
“It is alright saying top teams need to have big squads. However, that is a large wage bill for these clubs to pay.
“If you have got these big squads, then it shouldn’t be a problem. However, some players aren’t up to the task. That is another thing which coaches and managers need to take on board.”
Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn concerned as workload increases
Returning to the Champions League should be a happy occasion for Villa, and on the field, the club got off to the perfect start with a 3-0 victory over Young Boys (17 September).
However, there have been a lot of issues off the field. Villa upset many supporters with their ticket pricing, which prompted King to call for UEFA to take action.
And now, players are concerned by the number of games they are being asked to play.
High-quality performances are important for football to remain entertaining for fans, and there are only so many games players can play at the highest level physically, no matter how much they are earning.
Therefore, UEFA must ensure to listen to players’ concerns.
In other Aston Villa news, one player is unlikely to feature regularly until November.
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