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The former Arsenal forward has criticised the hectic football schedule, citing the Englishman's injury as an example of its negative impact.
Thierry Henry believes professional football players are involved in too many games, pointing to Jude Bellingham’s injury as an upshot of the bloated calendar.
What Henry said
The Frenchman has expressed concerns about the demanding schedule, highlighting its impact on players like Bellingham, who played 42 games for Real Madrid last season and participated in Euro 2024, before recently suffering a muscle injury that sidelined him for up to a month.
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Henry believes that the expansion of the World Cup, Club World Cup, and Champions League has led to an excessive workload for players.
The 47-year-old cited the Englishman as an example, emphasising the need for a more balanced schedule to protect players' health and performance.
“Bellingham is already injured. It’s tough to play a season and then go to the Euros and come back and play for the national team,” said Henry. “Games left and right and then a FIFA club tournament at the end of the season.
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“So as much as I want to see AC Milan vs. Liverpool and I want to see a Manchester City vs Inter, I want to see the best players on the field being able to perform whenever they can. That’s also part of the product, having the best players on the field still being able to perform all the time.
“So yes, it is outstanding for us, but if I was a coach, I don’t know if I would have found out outstanding. There’s a lot of games.”
What comes next?
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10:08 - 19.10.2024
'I talk to him a lot' — Ronaldo predicts Ballon d'Or winner
Ademola Lookman, Rodri, Vinicius Junior, and more have been nominated for the 2024 Ballon d'Or, but who will win the prestigious award?
Bellingham, one of the nominees for the 2024 Ballon d'Or, has missed the last three LaLiga matches for Carlo Ancelotti's men due to injury.
Despite his absence, Los Blancos have secured seven points from nine possible, with victories against Real Valladolid and Real Betis and a draw against Las Palmas.
The Englishman is rumoured to be in contention to return ahead of schedule against Real Sociedad this weekend, albeit not as a starter.
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