While English football looks forward to the prospect of four domestic clubs competing in two European cup finals next week, the historic achievement threatens to overshadow the national side’s appearance in the semi-finals of the inaugural Nations League.
When Gareth Southgate’s men qualified for the latter stages of the tournament back in November, the country celebrated and looked forward to the climax of the tournament in Portugal.
Now though, it is almost an afterthought. Arsenal’s showdown with Chelsea in the Europa League and Tottenham’s match against Liverpool in the Champions League will dominate the minds of football fans and drain the players emotionally. In order to incorporate players involved in the finals into the England squad, Southgate must overcome rivalries between the players and ensure the players are able to recover before England play the Netherlands on 6 June.
If UEFA wants the tournament to be respected as a major event in the footballing calendar, it must give players time to recover and refocus their energy after a long, energy-sapping season with their clubs. Maybe, just maybe, this England team will win an international tournament one day soon – but they will need help from football’s administrators to give them half a chance.
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