Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker of Liverpool has voiced his frustration over the increasing number of matches, highlighting that players’ opinions are often ignored. His comments came ahead of Liverpool’s opening game in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference before facing Italian side AC Milan, Alisson said, “Sometimes, no one asks the players for their opinions about the increasing number of matches.”
He added, “Maybe our opinion doesn’t matter, but everyone knows how we feel about the added games. Everyone is exhausted.” Under the new format of the Champions League, each participating team will play at least eight matches, up from six, before reaching the knockout stages.
Additionally, the FIFA Club World Cup is set to be restructured this season. The tournament, organized by FIFA, will expand to 32 teams, competing from mid-June to mid-July. In July, the international players’ union FIFPro announced that it would file a complaint with European antitrust authorities regarding FIFA’s crowded match schedule.
Alisson acknowledged the complexity of the situation, stating, “We understand the media and television aspects, along with UEFA, FIFA, the Premier League, and other local competitions. We’re not unaware. People want more matches, but the most reasonable approach is for all stakeholders, including the players, to sit down and discuss the schedule.”
Liverpool could play over 60 matches this season after playing 58 last year. Alisson himself played in more than 40 matches during the 2023-2024 season for both his club and the Brazilian national team.
