Arteta Calls for Action as Fixture Congestion Hits Arsenal and Palace

Local TV Sport

Mikel Arteta urged football authorities to address the growing issue of fixture congestion, highlighting the strain placed on both Arsenal and Crystal Palace. A clash in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals had been rescheduled to accommodate Palace’s involvement in European competition, creating a scenario where both clubs faced two matches in just three days.

Transcript

00:00Nicola Teta urged football authorities to address the growing issue of fixture congestion,

00:08highlighting the strain placed on both Arsenal and Crystal Palace.

00:12A clash in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals had been rescheduled to accommodate Palace's involvement in European competition,

00:20creating a scenario where both clubs faced two matches in just three days.

00:26The rearranged time meant Arsenal and Palace had to navigate an intense schedule,

00:34with both sides playing multiple games in a short period.

00:38The English Football League acknowledged the challenges,

00:41citing the expanded European calendar as a key factor behind the unavoidable scheduling.

00:47Well, every decision that we make in terms of a fixture has to be guided on two main things,

00:53I think players' welfare and then supporters.

00:56That's it.

00:57And the rest has to come very, very far away from that.

01:01And we should never forget that principle.

01:03That's the only thing I would say.

01:04I hope we don't go.

01:05If we have that big piece of paper with those two principles there in front,

01:09before we make any decision, all of us in our industry, we won't get there.

01:14If we don't and we just ignore that, then anything is possible.

01:18The congestion had practical consequences for Arsenal.

01:22The striker Victor Jokrez missed the Carabao Cup match due to a muscle injury,

01:26leaving the team without a recognised centre-forward.

01:30Midfielder Mikel Mourinho deputised an attack, as he has done previously,

01:35adding further complexity to Arteta's squad management.

01:39Despite these challenges, Arsenal managed to navigate the fixture

01:42with squad rotation and tactical adjustments.

01:46With clubs competing on multiple fronts,

01:50the debate over player welfare preparation and scheduling,

01:54efficiency continues to intensify.

01:57Arteta's call for intervention underscored the growing tension

02:00between domestic competitions and European commitments,

02:04and the need for clearer planning to ensure teams could perform at their best

02:09while maintaining the quality of the game for the supporters.

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