Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier has complained about the number of international friendly matches being played, arguing that players no longer enjoy them.

“I and some of the top coaches deplore the fact that too many friendlies are a burden for some of the players, and the players do not seem to enjoy them any more,’ said the former coach of the French national side.

‘It’s difficult for a player to go into a friendly when he has to play an important Premier League game and a Champions League game in the following two weeks.

‘If it is an official game, it is all right but if it is a friendly I would like the national team managers to takeinto account they are going to play a lot of games.”

Houllier along with fellow Euroopean coaches including Arsene Wenger, Vicente del Bosque, Fabio Capello and Louis Van Gaal, are meeting in Nyon today for a UEFA forum of elite coaches.

Among the items on their agenda is the international fixture list with many coaches believed to be concerned that too many of their players are getting injured in meaningless matches.