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."
Martinez back in Argentina squad for World Cup qualifiers
Emiliano Martinez has been recalled by Argentina for this month's World Cup qualifiers versus Paraguay and Peru after serving a two-match suspension.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper sat out a 1-1 draw with Venezuela and a 6-0 rout of Bolivia in October after being banned for "offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play" by CONMEBOL.
Martinez had made a lewd gesture with the Copa America trophy ahead of a match against Chile in September, then hit a local television camera after a loss to Colombia.
Valencia midfielder Enzo Barrenechea has been handed his maiden call-up by Lionel Scaloni, while Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho and Leicester City's Facundo Buonanotte have also been recalled.
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi will lead the world champions – who are top of the CONMEBOL qualification group with 22 points – in Paraguay on November 14, before they host Peru five days later.
Argentina squad: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Walter Benitez (PSV), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), German Pezzella (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Nehuen Perez (Porto), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Leandro Paredes (Roma), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Enzo Barrenechea (Valencia), Thiago Almada (Botafogo), Facundo Buonanotte (Leicester City), Nicolas Paz (Como), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Nicolas Gonzalez (Juventus), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Lautaro Martinez (Inter), Valentin Castellanos (Lazio).
Al-Nassr 5-1 Al-Ain: Ronaldo on target in AFC Champions League win
Cristiano Ronaldo powered Al-Nassr to a convincing 5-1 triumph over Asian Champions League Elite holders Al-Ain on Tuesday.
The victory carried a sense of redemption for Al-Nassr as they avenged last season's semi-final defeat to the same opposition on their way to lifting a second title in the competition.
Talisca fired the hosts into a fifth minute lead with a well-taken effort from the edge of the box before Ronaldo poked home his 908th career goal just after the half-hour mark.
Visiting defender Fabio Cardoso then deflected Angelo's effort beyond Khalid Eisa to hand Al-Nassr a comfortable advantage at the interval.
Al-Ain did, however, pull one back early in the second half when Park Yong-woo's strike struck the post and went in off the back of Al-Nassr goalkeeper Bento.
But the result was put beyond doubt late on when Wesley curled home Al-Nassr's fourth, before Talisca notched his brace in second half stoppage time.
Data Debrief: Return of Ronaldo
After winning five Champions League across his glittering career, Ronaldo is now eyeing a first AFC Champions League crown with Al-Nassr.
The 39-year-old has six goals in eight appearances in the competition, with his goal against Al-Ain ending a three-game goal drought for Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo also registered a team-high expected goals (xG) tally of 1.25 towards Al-Nassr's 2.67 total, while also producing more shots (eight) and touches in the opposition box (nine) than any other player on the pitch.
Slovan Bratislava 1-4 Dinamo Zagreb: Slovakian side still searching for first Champions League point
Dinamo Zagreb came back from a goal down to cruise to a 4-1 victory away to Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The home side scored just their second goal of the league stage to go ahead after just five minutes through forward David Strelec.
But their lead was short-lived, with Dinamo getting back on level terms just five minutes later after Dario Spikic cut inside and slotted into the near post after carrying the ball into the box.
The visitors were ahead after the half-hour mark as Petar Sucic headed Marko Pjaca's cross home.
They extended their lead in the 54th minute after Sandro Kulenovic tapped in from close range to finish off a lovely flowing move. But neither he, nor his side, were done there.
A fourth arrived in the 72nd minute, with Kulenovic curling home an effort from the edge of the penalty area.
The result left Slovan Bratislava bottom of the Champions League table, yet to earn their first point after four matches, while Dinamo are up to 10th on seven points with the later matches still to play.
Data debrief: Dinamo sitting pretty
Dinamo Zagreb have opened a six-point gap to the bottom eight in the Champions League table, having dropped just two points since their 9-2 demolition away to Bayern Munich.
Qualification for the play-off round would mark the first time that the Croatian side have ever progressed into the knockout stage in the competition.
Their victory, meanwhile, was the first time – excluding qualifiers – in which they have scored four goals away from home in the Champions League.
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