Man United defender Raphael Varane has criticised the FA publicly ahead of the new season. He raised his thought over the ignorance on players’ concerns before the season.
The former Real Madrid star showed his concerns about the current stoppage time saga. He feels longer games will be bad for his fellow athletes. The FA is implementing a new strategy to cut down on time-wasting and increase the time the ball is in play. If we calculate this, matches will easily cross the mark of 100 minutes.
Stoppage time was also added in the first half and at the end of the game in World Cup last year. This significant amount of time added more minutes to the game. EFL Cup will kick off this weekend and it will officially add the new rules in England’s domestic setup.
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The Frenchman went on social media to express his disappointment and wrote, “We had a meeting last week with the FA. They recommended from the referees new decisions and rules. From the managers and players, we have shared our concerns for many years now that there are too many games, the schedule is overcrowded, and it’s at a dangerous level for players physical and mental well-being.
Raphael Varane also adds, “Despite our previous feedbacks, they have now recommended for next season: longer games, more intensity, and less emotions to be shown by players. We just want to be in good condition on the pitch to give 100% to our club and fans. Why are our opinions not being heard?
Man United continues with his thought on Twitter which reads, “As a player I feel very privileged to do the job I love every day but I feel these changes are damaging our game. We want to be at our maximum level, the best we can be and put on amazing performances for fans to celebrate every week.
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He ends his message with this thought which reads, “I believe it is important that we, players and managers, highlight these important issues as we want to protect the game we love and give the fans our best.”
The same rule was applied in Sunday’s Community Shield final between Man City and Arsenal. Man City boss Pep Guardiola was not happy with FA. His side conceded a goal in the 101st minute and the match went on in a penalty shootout. Arsenal emerged victorious by winning it 4-1 on penalties.
In his post-game press conference, Guardiola clearly added his frustration and said, “If the new regulations are continued, matches will go on till the next morning.” It was the third consecutive time when Man City failed to win Community Shield against three different teams. Pep felt that Man City would have won it in full-time.
Varane and Guardiola’s concerns are good but FA cannot change it for the new season. It will be applicable throughout the season. If FA decides to change its plan, they can only make changes from 2024/25.
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