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Raphael Varane believes that new EPL rules will damage football and cause players to burn out faster
Manchester United’s Raphael Varane has criticised the new rules set by England’s FA to reduce time wasting, which he believes can have the opposite effect and force teams to play up to 100 minutes routinely in Premier League matches.
Teams complain about new FA time wasting rules
The traditional curtain raiser for the English Premier League season in the Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City came under scrutiny after going beyond 100 minutes thanks to the new rules the FA have put in place ahead of the 2023/24 season.
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Time added on for every stoppage during the game, including celebrations and substitutions, will be more relative to the amount of time that teams spend on these stoppages, meaning that as much as 10 minutes can be added to the end of games, as seen in the match between Arsenal and Manchester City.
The Cityzens boss Pep Guardiola and captain Kevin De Bruyne have already criticised the new rules and they have been joined by Varane, who took to Twitter to complain about the new season’s rules.
Varane tweets disapproval of new FA rules
Varane, who was forced to quit the French national team due to fixture congestion, commented on the situation on Twitter saying, “We had a meeting last week with the FA. They recommended from the referees new decisions and rules.
“From the managers and players, we have shared our concerns for many years now that there are too many games, the schedule is overcrowded, and it’s at a dangerous level for players physical and mental well-being.
“Despite our previous feedbacks, they have now recommended for next season: longer games, more intensity, and less emotions to be shown by players. We just want to be in good condition on the pitch to give 100% to our club and fans. Why are our opinions not being heard?
Varane called for changes to the new rules as well as other stifling decisions that could cause players to burn out faster.
“As a player I feel very privileged to do the job I love every day but I feel these changes are damaging our game,” Varane said, continuing, “We want to be at our maximum level, the best we can be and put on amazing performances for fans to celebrate every week.
“I believe it is important that we, players and managers, highlight these important issues as we want to protect the game we love and give the fans our best.”
The centre-back continues to speak out against the injustices that he believes players are facing and is one of the leading voices against fixture congestion in football today.
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