The European Club Association (ECA), which represents 201 of the continent's biggest clubs, has also demanded a greater say in future decisions and repeated its call to football's governing body FIFA for more transparency.
"I believe that we are the most important stakeholder in football," ECA president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told reporters after the association's general assembly on Tuesday.
"Without our players, our employees, paid exclusively by the clubs, you cannot run the business, that is something all federations have to recognise.
"Everybody believes it is time that governing bodies recognise that clubs have to be included in the decision-making process."
The former West Germany forward added: "Everything regarding the calendar has been tailor-made in favour of the national teams, I believe is to time to re-find the balance between the interest of the national teams and the clubs."
"In an ideal world we would be talking about six double dates over a two-year period which is a reduction but still gives the right balance between the requirements of the national team and what the clubs want," said Manchester United chief executive David Gill, an ECA board member.
Rummenigge added: "That would be ideal from the clubs' point of view. You have the possibility to release the players two weeks before the Euro, then there is space for two or three friendlies."
"We have to acknowledge that in the meantime, days released by the clubs have been completed occupied by national team dates," he said.
He repeated his description of the August friendlies as a "nonsense" date and also criticised the double match dates played this June.
"It has to stop, that we release our players for nonsense dates. We respect that there are qualifiers, that there are finals tournaments, but we don't accept any more that there are nonsense dates still alive."
"We are trying to find the best way for the good of football."
"I have a peaceful atmosphere in myself, we received clear signs from both presidents, not to be pessimistic," he said.
