May 31, 2024
Liverpool’s centre-back Virgil van Dijk has urged fellow footballers to speak up against fixture congestion that’s detrimental to their health in the long run.
The Netherlands’ captain made the call ahead of his country’s Euro 2024 qualifier against France tomorrow, where he stressed that the limited rest and recovery time attributed to the high frequency of games in both club and international games are increasing the likelihood of injuries for footballers.
“In England, we think the schedules are too busy,” the Reds’ number 4 said.
“Players are well paid but this should never be to the detriment of our health.
“We have to play more and more matches. As players we should start saying something, contribute to a solution.”
When asked whether he’d be open to a 10 percent wage reduction due to playing fewer matches, Van Dijk responded: “No, I don’t think that should depend on my salary.
“The Nations League that comes with it, for example, does not go to my salary. We get bonuses, but that is not a guarantee.”
Recall that Raphael Varane also made similar complaints on August 7, 2023, in a post he uploaded on X, formerly Twitter.
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