Former Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Pique has added his voice to the recent calls made by FIFPRO, the European Leagues association and Spain’s LaLiga, on the increasing number of matches introduced by world football governing body, FIFA, Afrosport reports.
The 37-year-old said football’s governing bodies should not introduce new competitions.
FIFA has introduced a new Club World Cup featuring 32 teams, adding to the expanded 2026 World Cup format, which will see 48 teams jostle for title.
The Union of European football (UEFA) also increased the number of fixtures and match days for participating teams in the Champions League along with the introduction of the Nations League in 2018.
Pique, who played club football for Barca and Manchester United, also advised top-flight leagues to reduce the number of teams they have to ease the fixture burden on players.
Pique’s words come in the same week FIFPRO Europe, the European Leagues association and Spain’s LaLiga filed a joint complaint regarding FIFA’s international match schedule to a committee of European Union antitrust regulators.
The World Cup winner said it was the responsibility of all football organisations to find a solution to the congestion, which has resulted in long-term injuries to the likes of Rodri, Dani Carvajal, and Gleison Bremer.
“There are too many games, and we are seeing now players saying ‘listen, we are getting injured,” Pique said at a summit in London. “There are games every three days, we don’t have time to rest in summer.
“I would suggest to reduce the games,” he added when asked what he would do if he were in charge of global football. “Go to the leagues and say, ‘listen, instead of 20 teams, why don’t you do leagues of 16 teams?’
“And at the same time, I would go to UEFA and say, ‘why are you creating this Nations League, which is the new competition that is difficult to follow’ and I will go to FIFA and say, ‘okay, don’t do this FIFA World Cup of clubs that you created now’.
“I understand that they want to generate more revenues, but for the sake of football, I think that it could be much better to have less games, more premium and more exclusive [experiences] and it will be much easier also to follow from the audience point of view, and for players it will be less games.”
Pique retired in 2022 having won a Premier League and Champions League title at Manchester United, alongside three UEFA Champions League, 9 Spanish La Liga titles amongst others during his timw at Nou Camp with Barcelona.
