Football faces a conundrum as packed schedules impact the quality of play, and Gus Poyet believes the solution lies with players making decisions rather than organisations.
A new officiating directive in the Premier League has seen games regularly pass the 100-minute mark due to additional stoppage time this season, as was also the case at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Manchester United's Raphael Varane has voiced his concerns over the increased playing time adding to an already hectic schedule, while Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has outlined similar fears.
Former Chelsea and Tottenham midfielder Poyet acknowledges it is a difficult situation, with top leagues and governing bodies keen to maximise revenue, sometimes at the expense of quality.
Poyet told Stats Perform: "The matter with the games is simple. When you play too many games, you lose the quality, you can't maintain your quality at the same level for 60 or 70 games a season, no chance.
"If people want to see quality football, they need to reduce the number of games. If you reduce the number of games, there is less television and if there is less television, there is less money.
"Everyone who is involved in football, me included, needs to answer, do we agree to earn less and play less, or are we very selfish and want to keep earning more and more while playing fewer games?
"These things go together. I think we need to start from there because you're not going to be able to pay £100million for someone if you don't have the television [money] from playing 38-plus games.
"I think we are a little bit selfish and we only think about ourselves when the money that we are earning is coming because of the quantity of games that you can show on TV.
"That is the bottom line, I think it's common sense and if somebody doesn't agree, it is because they are only thinking about themselves."
Poyet's glittering playing career and coaching background, as well as his experience as a television pundit, means the Uruguayan is well-versed in this particular battle.
While organisations such as FIFA and UEFA dictate matters at football's top table, Poyet is eager to see power shifted to players and coaches.
"Until we start letting people who played football or who understand football at the highest level, top coaches, decide the rules of football, we're going to have problems," he continued.
"The people deciding these rules don't know [about the game]. They have never played most of the time and they think they know.
"Even if they say they have got a group of experts, the group of experts are people that work at UEFA and they get together and get paid.
"For proper rules ask the players, involve the players, get the Professional Football Association from every country and get them together.
"Ask the question, take it to your country and then bring it back. In that way, we have an agreement and then there are no complaints."
The introduction of video assistant referees (VAR) to review decisions has further frustrated some supporters, with crucial decisions often taking minutes rather than seconds.
Poyet believes the onus should be restored onto the referees on the pitch, rather than those in the stands or watching from remote VAR hubs.
He continued: "For me, I would like more responsibilities on the referee. Right now, the referees have got zero responsibility. With VAR, they decide nothing.
"Whatever happens on the pitch, if they make a mistake then somebody is there, having a coffee and telling them what to do, which is not what the referees are about.
"The referees are about being in charge of the games and they have to have responsibilities, and that responsibility is also checking, breathing and smelling people [who are wasting time].
"Are you going to say that a referee that has refereed 200 games doesn't know when a team is time-wasting and going too far? Let him manage the game.
"They waste more time with the VAR than the players do, so we are having extra time because of the VAR. Take it away, it is rubbish anyway. Absolutely rubbish.
"Are we taking away five jobs, four jobs or three jobs? I don't know how many there are in there, that is a problem so sort it out. But the most important thing for me is to let the referee take responsibility."
PSG's latest Ligue 1 title arrives as Monaco lose to Lyon
Paris Saint-Germain have been crowned as Ligue 1 champions after Lyon overcame Monaco 3-2 on Sunday.
A 4-1 midweek win over Lorient ensured that one more victory would be enough for Luis Enrique's team to get over the line, but PSG failed to get the job done themselves when they faced relegation-threatened Le Havre on Saturday.
That game was the 700th match of the QSI era at PSG, and the club's 1,900th in France's top flight.
However, PSG's wait to win their third straight title did not last long, as less than 24 hours later, Lyon – who will face the Parisians in the final of the Coupe de France at the end of May – came out on top in a topsy turvy encounter with second-placed Monaco.
Substitute Malick Fofana was the matchwinner for Lyon, and ultimately the player who handed the title to PSG.
Wissam Ben Yedder had put Monaco ahead in the opening minute, but quickfire goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Said Benrahma turned the match on its head before half-time.
Ben Yedder netted his second to restore parity on the hour mark, and thought he had sealed his hat-trick when he volleyed in from a free-kick, only to have strayed offside.
With only a win good enough for Monaco to stay in the fight, the visitors were then caught out in the 84th minute, with Fofana racing onto Lacazette's throughball and finishing calmly.
After a dismal start to the season, relegation looked a real possibility for Lyon, but they are now, with three games remaining, still in with a shout of qualifying for Europe.
PSG on the other hand now have 12 Ligue 1 titles to their name, with 10 of those coming under QSI's ownership. Aside from the COVID-impacted 2019-20 season, five of their last six league titles have been secured before the start of May.
It also means Luis Enrique remains in the running for a treble in his first season at the club, with PSG taking on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals next week.
Nuno encouraged by Forest's attitude and commitment, despite Man City defeat
Nuno Espirito Santo believes Nottingham Forest will "achieve what we want" by replicating the attitude demonstrated during their defeat by Manchester City.
Forest went down 2-0 against their title-chasing opponents at the City Ground, and remain just a point clear of the relegation zone with three games remaining.
Despite the defeat, the hosts produced a spirited performance against Pep Guardiola's side, while registering 14 shots on goal compared to 11 from the Citizens - meaning they had had more shots in both meetings this season.
Forest face already relegated Sheffield United, Chelsea and fellow strugglers Burnley in their final three games, and Nuno has seen enough to be confident of securing the Reds' Premier League status for another year.
"We played a good game, were compact, organised and had chances," he told Sky Sports. "We did a good job regarding how hard it is to play against Manchester City, and the players gave it a big go.
"We are disappointed with the result, but the encouragement comes from the way we work, how committed we are, and what we have ahead of us. This is more important.
"We stay positive, and we go for the next three games. With this attitude, we will achieve what we want."
Defender Moussa Niakhate echoes his manager's thoughts, adding: "We had three big chances in the first half, but we didn't score. That was the difference.
"Everybody is working hard. We can be proud. If we perform like this in the next three games, we'll stay up."
Gvardiol: Four more finals for City in title fight
Josko Gvardiol believes there are "four more finals" for Manchester City between them and the Premier League title.
City won 2-0 at Nottingham Forest on Sunday thanks to a first-half header from Gvardiol before a 71st-minute Erling Haaland finish wrapped up the points.
The victory moves City one point behind leaders Arsenal with a game in hand. The Gunners played earlier on Sunday, winning 3-2 at north London rivals Tottenham.
The destination of the Premier League title remains in City's hands as they bid for a sixth Premier League title in seven seasons, and Gvardiol acknowledged that every game between now and the end of the season is vital.
"We need to be focused on ourselves," Gvardiol told Sky Sports. "That’s what we are doing.
"There are four more finals to the end so let's do it."
Gvardiol's goal set City on course for victory at the City Ground, nodding home from Kevin De Bruyne's inswinging corner.
It was only Gvardiol's second Premier League goal since arriving at City from RB Leipzig prior to this season.
Gvardiol was somewhat surprised to get on the scoresheet, saying: "I didn't expect to score, but I found myself in a good position.
"It was really tough especially as the pitch was really dry. It's a more than important three points."
Pep Guardiola was delighted to come away with the three points against a Forest side fighting for their lives at the bottom, with the defeat to City leaving Nuno Espirito Santo's men in a perilous position, just a point above the relegation zone with three games to play.
"It was a difficult game," Guardiola told Sky Sports. "They played with bravery. They have fast players with a lot of quality.
"It is a great victory as we had a lot of games behind us. These games are so, so tough at this stage in the Premier League. Now we have a long week to recover."
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