"Players are not robots" - Thibaut Courtois slams UEFA, FIFA

  Thibaut Courtois has slammed UEFA and FIFA over the number of games players are subjected to annually. (Photo credit: GOAL) In what can be...

 

Thibaut Courtois has slammed UEFA and FIFA over the number of games players are subjected to annually. (Photo credit: GOAL)

In what can be described as a “packed football calendar”, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has hit out at FIFA and UEFA saying players are not robots.

Courtois was part of the Belgium team that lost out on a chance to make the podium at the just concluded UEFA Nations League and he has joined several other players in slamming the football ruling bodies on the rate at which games are being scheduled against players’ health.

"It's just a money game, and we have to be honest about it," Courtois said. "For UEFA, it's extra money and it's an extra game because it's on TV. Of course everyone wants to play, but look at how much both teams changed.

"If the teams had been in the final, there would have been other players playing. This just shows that we play too many games."

"Next year we have a World Cup in November, we'll have to play until the latter stages of June again," Courtois added. "We will get injured. Nobody cares about the players. In June, after a long season, you'll have to play four games in the Nations League, you'll get two weeks holiday.

"That's not enough for players to continue for 12 months at the highest level. If we never say anything, it's always the same."

Belgium rested Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku for Sunday’s third place match while Kevin De Bruyne was introduced from the bench late on in the game with the former two being rumored to be struggling with muscular issues.

The calendar is likely to get worse if FIFA goes on with the plan to host the world cup every two years as against the wishes of UEFA.