Players’ Association calls for international calendar review

Italian Players’ Association chief Umberto Calcagno warns that ‘by this stage everyone badly needs the international calendar to be revised.’

The break for international duty has been even more chaotic than usual due to COVID protocols and different rules for travel from and to various countries.

Those who were able to play, especially in South America, risk returning late and unable to feature in this weekend’s matches, so La Liga have postponed two games.

“I think by this stage everyone badly needs the international calendar to be revised,” AIC President Calcagno told Radio Kiss Kiss.

“If on the one side it’s important to safeguard the economic aspects, we must certainly protect the sporting element too. According to a report from FIFPro, 80 per cent of top players have taken part in almost every game over the last year and a half with fewer than five days of rest between one fixture and the next.

“They also had to deal with intercontinental journeys. It’s just not sustainable.”