Football
Stephan Uersfeld, Germany correspondent 10y

Jurgen Klopp: Crowded schedules will force earlier retirements

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has expressed his concerns of modern-day football calendars, claiming that the increasing number of games will lead to earlier retirements.

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Five matches into the new Bundesliga season, several clubs have a long list of injured players and Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and coach Pep Guardiola have already this week warned that the tight schedule, especially for those who also represent their country, "is killing the players."

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Klopp echoed Bayern's fears and also hit out at "former players turned high-ranking officials," who have lost touch with the game.

"In 10 years there will be no player left, who hangs up his boots at 35," Klopp said. "Former players turned high-ranking officials forget about the workload during their careers too soon.

"You have to begin to turn back time. But instead, in 2016, a European Championship with 24 teams will be staged, just because some folks enjoy that. But it doesn't really make sense for the players."

Borussia Dortmund have been hit hard by injuries in recent months, and currently Klopp has to do without six midfielders.

Internationals Marco Reus, Nuri Sahin, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Ilkay Gundogan, as well as veteran pair Sebastian Kehl and Oliver Kirch, are all unavailable for selection when BVB host Stuttgart on Wednesday.

But Klopp insists that he had seen the problem coming long before his players sustained the injuries.

"The players are paying the price for the World Cup. And that also means that a short holiday is not enough," he added. "Pep Guardiola is also of this opinion."

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