Denzel Dumfries does not mince his words with the Netherlands: ‘I am not in favour of this here’

Denzel Dumfries is no fan of the longer international break, as he made clear at Saturday's press conference. The Netherlands international, who has 79 caps, much preferred the previous format.

Usually, players face two internationals in each break. Now there are four in quick succession. UEFA have merged the first two international breaks of this Nations League season, so internationals stay with their national teams for almost two weeks.

For Dumfries, that's far from ideal. The right wing-back prefers the shorter break, which allowed him to get back to his club quickly.

"After the matches, the focus is on recovery," Dumfries began. "Of course, we are used to that at our clubs. There is some fatigue, but we have to respect the schedule."

"I can certainly play four matches, but it is a lot. I am not in favour of it," he made clear.

"You are away from your club for quite a long time. I found the previous format a bit nicer, but anyway. We have to respect it, but I am in favour of a shorter international break."

Netherlands head coach Xavi Hernández agrees with Dumfries. "I agree with Denzel that four matches are too many. Maybe you can play three, but for the clubs and the national team, two internationals are enough."