Earlier this month, Barcelona and Netherlands midfielder Frenkie De Jong provided an account to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf where he pointed out that UEFA’s current congested calendar of games was becoming far too hectic and exhausting for players, and the need for it to be reassessed.
The Dutchman also made remarks such as calling out UEFA for only making up such a congested calendar on the basis of wanting to earn more money and revenue while completely ignoring the health and safety of the European players who then have to deal with fatigue and possible injuries.
Not long after, Mundo Deportivo reports that these statements were brought in front of UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin by NOS, a media outlet from the Netherlands, as they took his reply to the complaint made by the 26-year-old midfielder.
Ceferin went on to deny the allegations made by the Barcelona midfielder and stated that the player was simply misinformed and suggested that “inform yourself”, and went on to clarify how the actual financial structure of UEFA currently works in regards to the revenue they generate:
Before speaking of this, you must inform yourself. The money goes directly to associations for the development of football. That does not go to UEFA and not to me personally…I often try to explain it, but many, including De Jong, don’t listen well.
He further elaborated:
UEFA returns 97 percent of its income to football itself. That’s why there are also young and talented players in the Netherlands. We invest in the national associations, otherwise, no player would go to the big clubs.
While the president does raise a fair point from his own perspective it appears as if he disagrees with the Dutchman for the most part, he does, however, raise his own contentions as well regarding the third and fourth-place games, something that he states UEFA is currently “thinking about it” when discussing a possible future where they don’t take place.
