Unai Emery is asking for big changes in football that will affect every Premier League club.
Unai Emery has called for a change in how much professional footballers are asked to do, just hours before Aston Villa faces Brentford. The Premier League is back after a three-week break, but many players got injured while playing for their countries during that time.
Liverpool had some tough news, with Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo both picking up injuries playing for Sweden and the Netherlands. Sadly, they won’t be able to play against Manchester City on Sunday.
During the break, Cole Palmer made headlines by pulling out of England’s squad to avoid overworking himself after a small groin injury. Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel questioned Palmer’s commitment to the national team, saying he “misses too many opportunities,” especially after England lost 3-2 to Spain.
But Emery thinks it was a smart decision to rest Palmer and agrees that players need protection from too much strain. He also said the football schedule needs serious attention.
“Some coaches have spoken up about how demanding the football calendar is and the need to protect players from doing too much,” Emery said before Villa’s game against Brentford. “This is a real concern.”
He also praised Germany’s coach, Jurgen Klopp, for using a large 44-player squad in the Nations League to manage players wisely. Emery hopes more managers will do the same.
“We have to think about players’ health and well-being,” Emery added. “We try to do that at club level, and some national managers, like Klopp, are setting a good example. Hopefully, others will follow.”
The busy schedule, especially after a tough World Cup, has made injuries even more common, particularly for players who played a lot during the tournament.
Emery wants a solution to reduce the pressure on players, and many others agree with him.
PFA chief Maheta Molango also spoke out, criticizing Tuchel’s comments about Palmer and saying the football schedule is now too tough. At the FIF Pro Performance Summit in London, Molango said it’s shocking that five England players had to pull out during a time when representing their country is such an honor.
He pointed out that players like Cole Palmer, who might have played four World Cups in a row, are missing out because of how packed the calendar is. Molango said this should be a big warning sign.
He suggested having a mandatory three-week break every summer, plus three weeks for players to train and recover.
“Is this the kind of football we want?” he asked. “Is it the football where the players who inspire us can’t perform? It’s really worrying.”
Molango added that the system feels broken because it focuses too much on power and votes instead of looking after players and the game.