Recently, Thomas Peeters, Associate Professor at Erasmus School of Economics, appeared in a broadcast by Flemish public broadcaster VRT about the huge increase in the number of football matches. Whereas 30 years ago football was only broadcasted on Wednesdays in Belgium, people are nowadays not surprised if football matches appear on television three times a week.
The main reason the number of football matches has increased so much is that there are more and more parties trying to fill up the football calendar. For instance, the Nations League has recently been added, and there are certain corners animating for a Super League between the absolute top clubs in Europe.
The huge increase in quantity of matches is not problematic for major football organisations, the associate professor argues. After all, organisations such as UEFA and FIFA do not pay the players' salaries, nor do they bear the risk of any injuries. Top clubs suffer more from this, as it causes more fatigue among players and increases the risk of injuries.
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You can listen to the full episode from VRT Radio 1, 14 June 2024, here.