Thomas Tuchel requires Fifa to scrap ‘not ideal’ June worldwide window ‘for the better of players’
Thomas Tuchel says the June international window does not make sense for national team managers due to the drastically different schedules of squad members, with this year’s complicated by potential headaches over the expanded Club World Cup.
The England boss called for Fifa to “align the calendar” for “the better of the players”, but it is the governing body’s new competition that is going to increase the tension around the window.
Tuchel pointed to how he will be one of many coaches who will have to deal with a squad made up of some players just in from European club finals, and others who have been off for weeks, with some then immediately having to jet off to America for a month-long tournament. The absurdity of the situation is illustrated in that timing, and how Fifa has to prioritise two of their own sets of fixtures happening in quick succession.
As it is, the Premier League finishes on 25 May, the Champions League final is on 31 May, with England’s next matches then away to Andorra for a World Cup qualifier on 7 June and then a home friendly against Senegal on 10 June, with the Club World Cup starting on 15 June.
England’s players from Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid will then have to be in the US three days before their first games in the competition, rather than the standard five.
Despite Fifa president Gianni Infantino making such a huge play of the Club World Cup, and almost tying his personal reputation to it, the world governing body has to give priority to the national teams due to the international breaks being protected. This also applies to friendlies, since the teams don’t get to dictate when the qualifiers fall, and it would be unfair to penalise them if they had a non-competitive game first.
Whether players can leave for the Club World Cup early may be down to Tuchel’s discretion, but it does sum up one of many issues with the modern football calendar.
“It is one qualifier and maybe the chance to change the squad a bit in between and give players the chance to play the friendly who are not involved in the World Club Cup,” Tuchel said. “We will see.
“I am just worried about the pause of the players,” the England manager went on. “I am not so concerned about the amount of games the players play in total. I am more concerned that they never have a real break of three to four weeks. Maybe they have three weeks holiday but maybe after five days they play another competition. That’s the problem. They should have a minimum three or three and a half weeks of preparation and then it would be better for everyone.
“In general, being a club coach or international coach, the Fifa June window is I think debatable if it makes sense. Not everyone plays a Champions League final or a club final so there is this awkward period for a player. They have 10 or 14 days break, then they go to international, then they give them a little bit of holiday but they think: ‘Other players are on holiday. I need to come back. I can’t enjoy my two weeks because I need to do individually and then I go suddenly to international camp.’
“So the June window is not ideal for anyone, especially the players. But it’s there. I think it’s Fifa who can maybe align the calendar and maybe find a gap where we put this window somewhere else to open the window for the better of the players.”
