Why is the Bundesliga having a break at the end of January?
The Bundesliga returned unusually early in January after a short winter break but after just two matchdays has taken another breather at the end of the month for an international break that sees no European nations in action. bundesliga.com explains…
Not only is it unusual for there to be an international break in January, it is also very rare for there to be a period in which FIFA organises fixtures without there being any European countries involved. Nevertheless, things will be quiet across UEFA nations for the final week of January 2022.
The reason behind it is that FIFA guaranteed continental confederations in summer 2020 an extra window due to COVID-19 disruptions in autumn of that year where clubs would have to release players for national teams. Since UEFA was able to hold fixtures during that August/September window, there are no European games to be made up.
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CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, the Asian and Oceanian confederations will be holding 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in January, while the Africa Cup of Nations has its knockout rounds in Cameroon.
Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs must therefore release players called up from those confederations. For the majority of those remaining, some teams will be holding training camps, others just allowing players a breather.
Players called up for January internationals:
Japan
Ko Itakura (Schalke), Genki Haraguchi (Union Berlin), Wataru Endo (VfB Stuttgart), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Düsseldorf), Takuma Asano (Bochum)
Australia
Ajdin Hrustic (Eintracht Frankfurt), Jackson Irvine (St. Pauli), Brandon Borrello (Dynamo Dresden)
USA
Chris Richards (Hoffenheim), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig), Ricardo Pepi (Augsburg)
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Nigeria
Jamilu Collins (Paderborn), Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin)
Ecuador
Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen), Carlos Gruezo (Augsburg)
Mali
Amadou Haidara (RB Leipzig), Diadie Samassekou (Hoffenheim)
South Korea
Jae-sung Lee (Mainz), Woo-yeong Jeong (Freiburg)
Burkina Faso
Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen)
Cameroon
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich)
Chile
Charles Aranguiz (Bayer Leverkusen)
Colombia
Rafael Borre (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Egypt
Omar Marmoush (VfB Stuttgart)
Guinea
Ilaix Moriba (RB Leipzig)
Ivory Coast
Odilon Kossounou (Bayer Leverkusen)
Morocco
Aymen Barkok (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Panama
Andres Andrade (Arminia Bielefeld)
Senegal
Bouna Sarr (Bayern Munich)
Tunisia
Ellyes Skhiri (Cologne)
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