Celtic Chairman Peter Lawwell Says Packed Football Calendar Has Been “Pushed That Bit Too Far”

Peter Lawwell, who also sits on the European Clubs’ Association as a vice-chairman, has claimed the football calendar is “more than maxed out.”

Both the Champions League and the Europa League will expand from next season, meaning each participant will be guaranteed eight first round games.

The 2026 World Cup in USA, Mexico and Canada will be the first to feature 48 teams, up from 32 at the most recent finals in Qatar. The European Championships was also expanded by eight teams in 2016.

Amid the growing demands on players and the threat to not only their welfare, but their ability to perform at an elite level, the Celtic chairman has called for action.

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“It seems to me we have pushed it that bit too far, particularly with the new World Cup and the restart dates,” he said.

“Between now and then we must come up with a process that covers everything in terms of player welfare, time on the pitch and time in training.”

FIFA this week released the key dates for the World Cup in 2030, which is slated to begin in South America to commemorate the tournament’s 100-year anniversary, before moving on to Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

Not only will the competition involve an unprecedented amount of travelling, but the final is scheduled for the 21st July. This is less than three weeks before the usual date of the Community Shield.

Lawwell added, “we have probably more than maxed out.

“It has got to a situation where it is impossible to expect high-quality performances from elite athletes over so many games in a year. Something has to be done.”

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany called for a cap of 60 or 70 games a season for each player last month, after it was revealed the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Julian Alvarez played over 65 games for club and country last season.