Kevin de Bruyne criticizes hectic fixture schedule set by UEFA and FIFA

Speaking candidly, Kevin De Bruyne proved this Thursday at a news conference preceding Belgium vs. Israel that he is not one to hold back. The Manchester City midfielder claimed that FIFA and UEFA are driven solely by financial gain when questioned about this brutal new season that includes the UEFA Champions League and Club World Cup modifications.

Kevin de Bruyne said, “I think the problem will come when we finish the Club World Cup. We know that there will only be three weeks between the Club World Cup final and the first day of the Premier League. You have three weeks to take a holiday and prepare to play another 80 games […] The problem is that UEFA and FIFA are playing extra games and we can try to say something, no solution has been found. They don’t care. It’s money that talks.”

“We only have one day off for the English League Cup game” : Bernardo Silva

Teammate Bernardo Silva also believes it is absurd that Manchester City will play three matches every week for the remainder of the year with such little time for rest. The 29-year-old continued by saying that he has demanded a change because of his demanding schedule, which is causing him to spend far fewer hours with his loved ones.

He said, "I think there are two completely different issues here. When the players complain, people say that players can't complain about the life they have. And they're right because we're fulfilling a dream and we do what we do. On the other hand, the schedule is completely crazy. We've just received the news that we only have one day off for the English League Cup game. We play Arsenal, we rest for a day and then we have the game against Watford.”

Bernardo Silva said, “And if we don't get knocked out of any other competition, we'll play every three days for months. It's been absolutely absurd. In the Champions League, if you don't qualify for the round of 16 you still have to play two more games. It's true that the squads are bigger, but I'm not going to say that it's easy. It hasn't been easy. I spend very little time with my family and friends. The amount of games we're subjected to is absolutely absurd."