Boring international games for Wenger
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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says international football bores him to tears.
He told The Sun: "Eighty per cent of qualifying matches this weekend were without interest - and that's being quite optimistic. We are going to destroy the interest of the spectator long-term.
"The basic problem is the congestion of international matches.
"In each Euro qualifying group, there are seven or eight teams resulting from the break-up of the Soviet Union and former eastern block countries and also from the integration of small states like Andorra and Liechtenstein.
"That makes a dozen matches between September 2006 and November 2007. The result is a collapse in quality. Having so many games flatters the national pride of countries, who all have a vote with FIFA.
"But it no longer has any value at the playing level. What ranks a player now is how he performs for his club."
Wenger sees big trouble on the horizon if FIFA and UEFA keep making so many calls on players.
He said: "Arsenal, Real Madrid or AC Milan are not going to accept for ever paying players a fortune without being able to use them on account of national teams.
"FIFA aims to reduce club competitions but the club budgets cannot bear a reduction in the number of games."
He told The Sun: "Eighty per cent of qualifying matches this weekend were without interest - and that's being quite optimistic. We are going to destroy the interest of the spectator long-term.
"The basic problem is the congestion of international matches.
"In each Euro qualifying group, there are seven or eight teams resulting from the break-up of the Soviet Union and former eastern block countries and also from the integration of small states like Andorra and Liechtenstein.
"That makes a dozen matches between September 2006 and November 2007. The result is a collapse in quality. Having so many games flatters the national pride of countries, who all have a vote with FIFA.
"But it no longer has any value at the playing level. What ranks a player now is how he performs for his club."
Wenger sees big trouble on the horizon if FIFA and UEFA keep making so many calls on players.
He said: "Arsenal, Real Madrid or AC Milan are not going to accept for ever paying players a fortune without being able to use them on account of national teams.
"FIFA aims to reduce club competitions but the club budgets cannot bear a reduction in the number of games."
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