Tottenham Hotspur defender Dier says this season’s fixture congestion is ‘unheard of’ ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup
Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier has shed light on how difficult it has been for players playing in the truncated league season.
The Premier League campaign has been congested further due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup being held in Qatar mid-season. English football notably continues in the busy December and January period while other leagues take a short break during that time.
With two cup competitions and European football, the ‘big six’ clubs, as privileged as it may sound, have more fixtures to deal with as compared to teams such as, say Southampton or Brentford.
Speaking in an interview after the club’s 4-3 league win against Leeds United this weekend, the former Sporting CP star said (h/t Evening Standard):
“It is a strange situation. Like a week or so, nine days and it starts. No I can’t believe it – I just want to go home and go to sleep! It’s been a really tough period, I don’t even know how long it’s been, it feels like a year but it’s been about six weeks.”
Spurs have played 22 games across competitions since the season started back in August. That’s a lot of games – and Eric Dier has played in every single one of them. Dier played two additional games in September in the UEFA Nations League for the Three Lions.
He wouldn’t have had a problem with those at all, though. It was a recall to the senior set-up just at the right time – ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Expectedly, Dier is going to Qatar.
He added:
“”The schedule is crazy, I have never experienced anything like it in my life. Playing every three days for I don’t know how long it has been – it’s unheard of I think. “
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There isn’t a lot of time for Dier to rest. With Harry Maguire’s poor start at Manchester United this campaign and manager Gareth Southgate’s tendency to play a three-man backline, the Spurs centre-back is expected to start when the Three Lions commence their World Cup against Iran on 21 November.
