Keith Elliot, TCUP – Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner is a little prickly today. To make matters worse, he’ll need to deal with an extremely tight calendar, with his squad facing five fixtures in 11 days leading up to Christmas. The intense schedule includes pivotal league and domestic cup fixtures. Glasner goes as far as to call this type of scheduling “irresponsible” in terms of player welfare.
Crystal Palace plan for the busiest of their recent history, expect them to be active. After meeting Arsenal in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals December 16, welcoming Manchester City in the league Dec. 14 and hosting KuPS in the Conference League December 18. With additional games lined up on December 21 and January 1, Glasner’s concerns have sparked wider discussions about player welfare during a demanding season.
Glasner’s Frustration with Fixture Scheduling
Glasner’s frustration with the fixture congestion has been plain to see in his comments of late. He touted the physical toll of playing two matches in 54 hours in December. This kind of schedule would put his players’ well-being in grave danger.
“Honestly, I can’t believe that it will be fixed in that way. I think it would be irresponsible for the players. And everybody has a responsibility for the players. And we have to look after their welfare. That’s our main responsibility – and not just at the club.” – Oliver Glasner
Three months ago, Glasner was bringing up these scheduling issues during an analysis of the team’s schedule. He pointed out that during a meeting held in July in New York, FIFA discussed the importance of maintaining a mandatory 72-hour gap between competitive games with various players’ organizations.
Glasner emphasized that any decisions regarding scheduling must prioritize two key factors: player welfare and supporter experience. Most importantly, he passionately argues that requiring players to play consecutive matches on difficult schedules places their long-term health at risk. It increases the unfun-ness of the matches.
Proposed Solutions to Fixture Congestion
To help combat the overflow and congestion of red-tape, Glasner has proposed other dates for various fixtures. He even suggested that the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal be played on Christmas Eve, December 24. Or, instead, he proposed postponing the game until December 20, which would in turn push their UEFA fixture to Wednesday.
Glasner has continued to insist that his squad isn’t able to handle three games in four days without risking a drop-off in quality. He wrote that increasing match start times would result in “harmful ramifications.”
“It’s dangerous, irresponsible to say that you should play Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday. Which is Premier League, EFL and UEFA. Because it’s about players’ welfare from our side.” – Oliver Glasner
He is resolute in maintaining competitive integrity while prioritizing player safety. These recommendations further illuminate that commitment as we enter this busy period of fixtures.
Wider Implications for Player Welfare
Glasner’s concerns resonate well beyond Selhurst Park. More significantly, though, they have ignited—or at least carried forward—a welcome and already-growing conversation among managers about player welfare across the league. Growing player discontent Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta recently made similar claims, arguing that taking players’ welfare seriously could avert strikes across the game.
“If we look after the players’ welfare and our supporters, we are never going to get to that point [strikes].” – Mikel Arteta
Arteta passionately made the case for shared accountability in the game. That means everyone needs to do their part to make sure the decisions that are made maintain the integrity of the league. He was determined that at the heart of every decision must be a commitment to preserving what’s great and unique about football.
“We have to close the window there. We cannot open that window. It has to be closed. It’s our most precious value. We have the best league in the world and we cannot just open any window for anything just to lose that because we don’t respect that.” – Mikel Arteta
The ongoing dialogue reflects a crucial moment for football administrators as they navigate the challenges of maintaining competitive schedules while safeguarding player welfare.
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