Vermaelen criticizes UEFA: “This format is unfair”

The new format of the Eurocup, a novelty of UEFA for this edition, does not finish convincing some footballers. There are eleven venues, eleven European cities in which the championship matches are distributed. The problem is that while some such as Spain, Italy, Germany or Denmark play all the matches of the first phase at home, there are other teams that have to be traveling through Europe from one match to another.

“This format is unfair. You have teams that play all three games in their own country and others that have to travel. All these trips are not good for the players' bodies, especially in such a short tournament. But they won't see us complain the only thing left for us is to accept, “said Thomas Vermaelen, defense of Belgium, in an interview in Daily Mail.

Belgium, which finished first in group B, played their first and last matches in Saint Petersburg, while their second was in Copenhagen. Meanwhile, she has been focused on her country, so she has had to travel before and after each meeting. Now he has to change again, this time also with a very different climate: the round of 16 will be played in Seville, in La Cartuja.

That change from Russia to Spain has had to be constantly experienced in La Roja's group, because the other matches of Sweden, Poland and Slovakia have been played in Saint Petersburg. 4,500 kilometers separate both cities. A trip that Slovakia has had to make, which until now had been concentrated in Saint Petersburg (where it played the first two games) and last Monday made a five-hour plane ride. In recent days, yes, there has been a circumstance that is rarely (or not at all) seen during the rest of the year: temperatures have been much hotter in Saint Petersburg (above 30 degrees and high humidity) than in Spain, where in recent days they have enjoyed mild temperatures. The Slovaks, therefore, are going to be prepared for the Andalusian climate.