EPL: It’s so tough – Man City star threatens to retire over FIFA, UEFA decisions

Manchester City centre-back, Manuel Akanji has said he might be retiring at the age of 30.

The player said this while complaining about the gruelling football schedule.

The Switzerland International joins a long list of players to complain about the ever-increasing number of football matches played by teams every season.

The UEFA Champions League’s new format is set to add more fixtures for teams in the competition.

Akanji played games for Manchester City in the 2023-24 season and represented his country at Euro 2024 until July 6. 

He then returned to action for the start of the 2024-25 season on August 10, featuring in the Community Shield.

Akanji is worried that the football governing bodies are routinely adding new games and competitions. 

He told ESPN,  “It’s so tough. You don’t just think about this season — but also next season. Let’s say we win the league or cup, then go to the final of the Club World Cup; the Community Shield is three weeks after. 

“So when do we have holidays? There are no breaks in winter, so if we are lucky we get two weeks and then we need to be back and into next season. Then the next summer it’s the World Cup. There’s no end to it.

“It’s just game after game and I don’t know how it will work out over the next couple of years 

“You can’t just keep adding game after game and assume everything will be like it was. You have to think about the players as well.

“At some point you’ll be too tired to play any more games. And then come injuries, definitely. We train as hard as possible and we are fit — but there has to be a limit. Maybe I’ll retire at 30.”


Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *