Tottenham Hotspur Face Grueling Europa League Challenge Ahead

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has voiced concerns over football’s increasingly demanding schedule, warning that it is reaching a “dangerous level.” Speaking ahead of Spurs’ Europa League match against Qarabag, Postecoglou highlighted the growing toll on players and emphasized the lack of recovery time between seasons. Spurs will play eight games in the league phase of the newly expanded Europa League with the possibility of up to 16 matches to reach the final in Bilbao on 21 May 2025.

This tight schedule further adds pressure to an already packed domestic and international calendar. Meanwhile, Postecoglou’s remarks followed comments by Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who suggested players could strike over fixture congestion, just days before he suffered a serious knee injury. Postecoglou stressed, “Players don’t get a break anymore,” cautioning that these relentless schedules could lead to top athletes being sidelined by injuries.

He added, “We’re not going to have the best players out there, and even worse, they’re breaking down for various reasons.” Tottenham will kick off their Europa League campaign against Qarabag on Thursday, followed by a trip to Hungary to face Ferencvaros on 3 October. Spurs will then host AZ Alkmaar on 24 October and travel to Galatasaray on 7 November.

They will continue the campaign with a home match against Roma on 28 November and an away game at Rangers on 12 December.  After that, they will face Hoffenheim on 23 January and Elfsborg on 30 January. Previously, Tottenham Hotspur faced Qarabag twice in the 2015-16 Europa League group stage, winning both matches (3-1 and 1-0).

However, Postecoglou’s primary concern lies in managing his squad through this demanding schedule as player fatigue and injuries continue to pose long-term risks in a congested football calendar.