"How long can this go on?" - Liverpool star calls for FIFA to change football schedule as it is taking a toll on players

Liverpool's veteran midfielder James Milner has criticized the hectic schedule of fixtures for footballers, calling for a change. The English midfielder has questioned the longevity of such a packed timetable that he believes barely allows any rest for the players.

Milner is set to leave Anfield this summer after his contract expires. A move to Brighton & Hove Albion seems imminent (as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano).

Ahead of his last appearance in a Liverpool shirt against Southampton on Sunday (28 May), the Englishman said (via the Daily Mail):

"That's football and sometimes that gets overlooked in terms of how it's all the year round now. For the international boys it's ridiculous. There are international tournaments in the summer so they are playing games then instead of having time off. That's the hardest part of it all."

He added:

"Yes I do think the workload is unfair on the leading players. Every other year there shouldn't be an international tournament and players should be given the full summer off for sure. How long can this go on? The intensity and the number of games…"

Explaining his preferred solution, the outgoing Liverpool star further stated:

"That's something I would do for sure - have every other summer off - and then you can go as full-on as you want over the season but give them a break otherwise where's it all heading?"

Milner has registered 331 appearances across all competitions during his Liverpool career, recording 26 goals and 46 assists. The Englishman helped the Reds win the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020, amongst other triumphs.

Most players across the world have had to deal with a full season integrated with a FIFA World Cup squeezed in the middle of their campaign. Players have played more than once a week more often than not, which is not ideal for their recovery or development.

"We were so close to winning everything" - James Milner explains why Liverpool missed out on quadruple last season

Milner further condemned and attributed his side's failure to achieve a historic quadruple last season to the frantic level of fixtures.

After beating Chelsea in the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup finals, the Reds were on the cusp of winning every title a domestic club could. However, Jurgen Klopp's men were bested by Real Madrid in the Champions League final as Manchester City won the Premier League by just one point in the final gameweek.

Milner has now opened up about missing out on such an impressive feat, explaining how Liverpool were unable to overcome their exhaustion last term. He said:

"Football is so full-on. It's all the year round now. You look at athletes and they are trying to compete for the Olympics or the European Championships which comes around every four or two years."

He continued:

"It's impossible to be always at your peak no matter what and it's how you deal with the times when your physical levels are not quite there. You are just a bit out of form or certain players are out of form."

Milner added:

"The team that does that best ultimately wins the title or trophies and is successful. At Liverpool we haven't dealt with those situations as well as we would have liked this season but last season we were so close and probably ran out of a bit of steam when we were so close to winning everything."

Liverpool ended with two domestic trophies last season - the FA and the Carabao Cup. They have had a trophyless season this time around and have also failed to finish in the top four in the Premier League table.