Belgium star Kevin De Bruyne blasts Nations League as 'unimportant'

Kevin De Bruyne blasts the Nations League as 'unimportant' as Belgium star bemoans lack of player welfare highlighting 'we have a little more than three weeks of vacation every 12 months'

Kevin De Bruyne has condemned the UEFA Nations League - labelling the competition as 'unimportant' and declaring that players need a longer break during the off-season.

After a long and arduous season, De Bruyne's 2021-22 campaign will be extended into June with Belgium beginning their qualifying campaign for the 2022-23 finals in Italy.

Belgium who are in Group A4, with Holland, Poland and Wales, face four games in 11 days from June 3.

This cramped schedule means it won't be until June 15 at the earliest that De Bruyne will be able to take a break from football before then reporting for pre-season duty at Manchester City sometime in July.

And all of this is something De Bruyne could do without as he took aim at the Nations League and its insignificance in the football calendar.

'For me, the Nations League is unimportant. We have to play those matches, but it's a kind of practice campaign,' the 30-year-old said.

'Everyone has had a very tough season. As soon as we are on the field, we do what we have to do. Then I want to win. Other than that, I don't have much to say about it.

'We have nothing to say about it. As players, we can talk about vacation or rest, but we have no say.

'We follow what we need to do and that's it. We have a little more than three weeks of vacation every 12 months.

'The outsiders don't understand how a player feels after a season. It doesn't have to be, in the end it won't change anyway. Nor is there any point in saying anything about it. Nothing will change anyway.'

De Bruyne has already played 49 games for club and country so far this season, scoring 20 goals.

His feats for City, where he inspired them to the title, saw him crowned the Premier League's Player of the Season.