Thibaut Courtois has become the latest high-profile player to voice concerns about the congested football calendar, citing the lack of a proper summer break as the key factor contributing to player burnout.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper, who missed much of the previous season due to injury, skipped Belgium’s squad for this summer’s European Championship.
According to Courtois, the problem isn’t the number of matches but the short turnaround between seasons.
Drawing a comparison with the NBA, which has an intense schedule from October to April and playoffs running until June, Courtois highlighted the extended rest period between basketball seasons.
In an interview with Marca, Courtois explained: “It’s not so much about the games themselves but the break between seasons.
Players who go deep into tournaments like the Copa América or the Euros only get about three weeks of vacation.
That’s impossible. In the NBA, they also play a demanding schedule, but they have four months to rest. That’s the big difference.”
His remarks follow similar concerns raised by Manchester City star Rodri, who recently warned that players were considering a strike due to the overloaded schedule.
Other players have also expressed frustration with the demands of modern football.
Some critics argue that players should accept the intense schedule due to the high wages they receive, but Courtois dismisses this notion. “The two things are unrelated,” he responded. “There’s enough income in football to pay the salaries. Back in 2021, I spoke out against the Nations League, saying it was too much and that we shouldn’t play it. People laughed at me, but look at where we are now. In the NBA, they play many games, but they also get a long offseason.”
Courtois noted that his own decision to skip international duty has allowed him to rest and recover properly.
“I feel good because I had time to rest. But for players in the Euros or Copa América, there’s no time to recuperate.”
Other players, including Liverpool’s Alisson Becker and Aston Villa’s John McGinn and Youri Tielemans, have also voiced concerns over the grueling schedule.
The issue has been exacerbated by the new Champions League format, which adds at least two extra games for participating clubs, putting even more strain on players.
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