Jol bemoans crowded schedule
17 November 2011 22:27
Fulham manager Martin Jol is concerned about the impact of international football on his team's domestic performance.
Defender Stephen Kelly joined the club's lengthy injury list when he picked up a groin problem during the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2012 playoff against Estonia on Tuesday.
Dutchman Jol accepts the value of international competition, but is worried about players becoming overworked.
"I feel if it is an official game like a playoff game then it is important," he said.
"The national team is important. But all these friendly games you know in our programme is probably a little bit too much."
"We had four players leave. Sometimes five, so it is not an ideal situation to prepare for the next game. But of course international teams are probably the most important thing in football."
Jol also added his voice to the chorus of disapproval directed at Sepp Blatter following the FIFA President's claim racism was not a pertinent issue in football.
The 75-year-old Swiss said in separate interviews this week racist abuse on the pitch should be settled by a handshake and forgotten following a match.
"We have done everything in England to exclude that (racism) from the game, and not just the game, from our society also," Jol said.
"I feel that Sepp Blatter said yesterday that he was misunderstood. But if not, we all know you can't make things up with a handshake, it is not possible."
"We have got all the procedures and we have rules for that and I feel that everybody knows if you do something against that, then you will be punished."
"We have to try to exclude that sort of racism from the game, and I can't believe that he (Blatter) said something like that, but if he did, then he has to take the responsibility."
