Yahoo Sports 'Can't compete at high level' - Alisson Becker makes startling admission ahead of Champions League return
Alisson Becker has issued a warning about fixture congestion as Liverpool prepare for their most demanding season yet, with an expanded Champions League adding to the workload.
Fixture congestion in club football is at an all-time high, with teams navigating a packed schedule of domestic and European competitions while trying to avoid losing players to injury.
Clubs are being stretched to their limits as they manage the intense demands of multiple tournaments, making player fitness and squad rotation more crucial than ever.
The Reds have Champions League and Carabao Cup matches to play in addition to their Premier League campaign, with Saturday’s match against Nottingham Forest marking the first of seven games in 22 days.
READ MORE: Fans want Slot to recall midfielder against AC Milan
Alisson hits out over fixture congestion
Ahead of Liverpool's Champions League opener against AC Milan, the Brazilian goalkeeper shared his thoughts on the new CL format and has slammed those who make the decisions surrounding fixtures.
"For the supporters, it's amazing. More games, more bigger games, big teams playing each other. It's a good thing as a player you are playing against the best." said Alisson.
"It's always a good idea to add some games to the calendar that is not busy...I'm being ironic a little bit!" the goalkeeper joked. "But we are here to do a job. Sometimes nobody asks the players what they think about adding more games so maybe our opinion doesn't matter. But everybody knows what we think about having more games."
"Everybody is tired of that. But we have to bring those kind of things onside, stay focused on the big challenge we have here tomorrow. If we have a chance, let's see what we can do on the pitch. A lot has changed in the last few years for us. We didn't play in the Champions League last season and we are all looking forward to be back in it. We will do our best to try and win."
Alisson added: “All the people responsible for organising the calendar need to sit together and listen to all the parts, including the players. You can’t just add competitions and add games. If you’re tired you can’t compete at high level. We need a solution to that.”
How can Liverpool reduce injuries this season?
When Arne Slot became the new head coach at Anfield, it led to the appointment of Ruben Peeters as the club's head of physical performance and he is set to play a crucial role in the backroom staff.
Peeters, a specialist in sports sciences, is renowned for his expertise in periodisation—a method that carefully manages training loads to prevent injuries. During his tenure at Feyenoord, Peeters’ strategies were instrumental in maintaining player availability levels above 90 per cent.
Liverpool could potentially play 68 games this season: 38 in the Premier League, 17 in the Champions League, 7 in the EFL Cup and seven in the FA Cup.
Peeters and Slot will be crucial to managing the increased amount of fixtures this season, something we've already seen with Slot rotating players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold to prevent injuries.
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