One of the most successful executives in world football and chairman of Bayern Munich’s Supervisory Board, Uli Hoeness, has launched a fierce attack on FIFA and UEFA officials over the congested international football calendar. He believes the Munich club has been particularly affected by the extended duration of the World Cup and, above all, the prolonged break caused by the latest Nations League fixtures. He has therefore called on football’s most influential figures to reconsider their decisions.##LINKED_NEWS_69772##The start of the season has not gone according to Bayern’s plans. They have dropped points twice in the opening five rounds of the Bundesliga, and the veteran club chief believes the reasons are obvious.“We are suffering the most because of this long World Cup. Our players returned very late and then had to take a break,” Hoeness told Bild TV.It is worth remembering that Bayern stars such as Harry Kane and Michael Olise were involved right up until the final weekend of the World Cup and joined the squad late. The season then began on 28 August, but club football soon took a back seat again because of international fixtures.##LINKED_NEWS_69426##Hoeness is particularly unhappy with the Nations League and the recent three-week break…“I consider it a catastrophic decision by UEFA to introduce a lengthy break just four weeks after the start of the season. We had a total of 18 players away. It is perfectly natural to lose your rhythm in such a situation”.He believes clubs must finally take a firmer stance and fight for change, pointing out that they generate 95 per cent of football’s revenue worldwide, rather than national teams.“We all have to reach an agreement and take action together. A competition like the Nations League is stupid, ridiculous — it is a complete farce” Hoeness concluded.##LINKED_NEWS_65664##Bayern president Herbert Hainer agreed with the views of his long-time colleague and backed his criticism of the excessive workload placed on players.“Hoeness is certainly right about this. I don’t think any other team in the Bundesliga — or internationally — has faced as heavy a workload as we have. Quite simply, almost all our players are internationals, and they are away on national-team duty during the breaks. Nevertheless, what matters most in the end is who crosses the finish line first, and I am convinced that will be us,” Hainer said.Rudi Voller, sporting director of the German Football Association (DFB), also discussed the new international fixture schedule. Speaking on Sport1’s Doppelpass programme, he likewise described it as a poor solution. He added that he hoped FIFA or UEFA would reconsider the existing systems and reduce the burden on players.22.00: (3.30) Coventry (3.50) Newcastle (2.15)
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