Former Premier League manager Tony Pulis has warned that the expansion of football competitions is harming player welfare and the quality of the game. In his BBC Sport column, Pulis argues that while players have become bigger, stronger, and quicker, the increased number of matches in shorter timeframes is leading to more soft-tissue injuries.

Pulis points to the upcoming World Cup featuring a record 48 teams playing 104 games, and the new Champions League format with 36 clubs, as examples of tournaments that have been 'watered down.' He notes that teams like Newcastle face grueling travel schedules, with their 2,529-mile journey to Baku being the furthest distance ever travelled by an English side in the Champions League.

The former Stoke City and West Brom manager emphasizes that the problem isn't the number of games but the intensity and frequency. With more than two or three quick players in every team now compared to when he started managing over 30 years ago, the stress on players has increased dramatically. Pulis believes that while medical and sports science departments have improved, the current fixture congestion makes it harder to manage player fitness effectively.