What do players and coaches think of the new Champions League format?
Teams will now play eight matches instead of six in the league stage in the Champions League
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00:00Do you think it will get to a point where, after playing so many games or being asked to play so many games,
00:05that the players will say, I don't want to be part of this and they'll actually end up going on strike or refusing to play?
00:12Yeah, I think we're close to that.
00:14We've looked at what we can do about the problem, but it's not in our hands. The problem is a calendar that's too demanding.
00:28I prefer this one, but of course I didn't play before in this one. But I think we need one change. We need to change and I think this one is going to be better.
00:40In my humble opinion, I think it's too much. I think we have to take care of ourselves. Someone has to take care of ourselves because we are the main characters of this, let's say, sport or business, whatever you want to call it.
00:54I'd like to think that all the changes we make are to get better, even if it's more games for us, more effort, but also more Champions League games.
01:05In the end, when you become a footballer, your ultimate goal is to play as many Champions League games as possible, to score as many goals as possible in the Champions League.
01:15So, if there's a change, I think it will be better for us, for the club and for everyone.
01:22I think that at some point, we'll have to sit down with the players, with the managers, with the people who decide on the calendar, the games and everything.
01:34It's good, it's nice to have more games, but it's already a very busy season with the calendars, as I explained before, with the national team, the trip, the games every three days.
01:46What we want is giving our best for football. If you are tired, you cannot compete at a high level. What I want is giving my best in all the games that I play, but we need a solution for that.
02:02It doesn't look like we are close to a good solution for football's sake and for the players' sake.