Real Madrid
Madrid star admits he wants ‘NBA style’ calendar in European soccer
Courtois spoke to CNN about the tough schedule, admitting he wants an NBA style rest period.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois gave an interview to CNN after winning the Globe Soccer Awards' career award.
Among other issues, he spoke about the overloaded calendar and the approach taken to the problem, which often singles out the players and their high salaries.
What are your thoughts on the current calendar?
“The excuse that we earn a lot of money has to end. You can also earn money by playing ten fewer games. It’s not so much the games as the fact that I feel like we have little rest. FIFPRO tries to protect the players, but I think other institutions don’t think about it.
This Club World Cup (next summer, with 32 teams and to be held between mid-June and mid-July in the United States) is something that has to happen, but it’s difficult to find the right way to do it. The clubs want to help, but here we all follow the rules and the calendar that they give us. If you play one game a week, you don’t have this problem, but for the top players it’s different. The other day I was joking about this with Fede Valverde, I said to him: “Your next vacation will be in 2027.” That sounds crazy!”
Would an NBA style calendar be better?
“I think players wouldn’t have a problem playing non-stop for nine months with the right preparation and with ‘load management’ (as the NBA calls it). If you have two months off in the summer, as happens in the NBA, you can rest your body for a month and then prepare it for another month.
People will then be better prepared to play for nine months straight. When you don’t rest, that’s when injuries come. But this year it’s the Club World Cup, next year the World Cup for national teams, the next something else... there’s no rest for the players.
Bellingham and Carvajal (participants in the final of the last Euros) played until July 14 and on August 1 they were in Madrid training; on the 8th they played the UEFA Super Cup (the Belgian’s numbers were a bit off: they returned on August 7 and played that match on the 14th). If you explain this to someone from America, where the NBA and NFL are... they wouldn’t understand.”
There are a bigger number of important national team matches nowadays than before...
“There are definitely more international matches, too. For example, in the Nations League, it’s nice to play a small tournament where you can win a trophy and give the smaller teams a chance to qualify for the European Championship. I like that. The problem is that in September, October and November, the best players have to play important matches where the coach can’t rotate, can’t try new things. Now every match is important, including the World Cup qualifiers.”
What is the latest on your situation with the Belgian National Team?
“It has always been a source of pride to play for my country. The team has clearly moved on and I don’t know what will happen in the next month, or next year. Obviously I hope to play again or have a proper farewell. I would love to play in the next World Cup, but we’ll see what happens. It’s not so easy.”
Thoughts on the new format in the UEFA Champions League
“The new format is very similar to the one proposed by our president, the Super League, to what they want to do with it. I think they have made the right choice with this approach because there are many exciting matches and you have to fight them until the end, you don’t know what will happen.”
Can Real Madrid win all 7 trophies on offer this season?
“We never prioritise just one thing; in the last two Champions Leagues we won we also won LaLiga. This season I think that anyone can beat anyone in the League, it is a tough competition, and the same thing happens in the Champions League. We want to win as much as possible, that is what they ask of us at Real Madrid.”
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.