S Poddar
A warning from a very responsible source like Rodri, the midfield midfielder and influential player at Manchester City, has come forth as serious related to the frustration football players are feeling out because of excessive matches. He believes that trend will soon become unbearable and that players may have no alternative but to resort to a strike. According to Rodri, a season would have the right number of games if it is between 40 to 50 games, clearly less than what is being sought for at present.
Because Manchester City would host Inter Milan in their opening match of the Champions League, an expanded competition certainly hangs in reality. The revised format added even more matches to what was already a crammed calendar, increasing the strain on players. This might be the fast-approaching tipping point for Rodri.
Rodri hasn’t played for City this season yet, having to wait until two months later in September to make his first appearance with Spain after the country’s Euro 2024 victory on July 14. Last season was enough wear and tear for the 28-year-old with his 63 appearances, and there does not appear to be any relief forthcoming. With City to join the new 32-club FIFA Club World Cup next summer, players will be confronted by a maximum of 85 games in one season should they play club and international matches. Rodri, among his fellow teammates at Manchester City, and those from Chelsea, have to endure this marathon effort.
He had to be asked twice whether striking was a serious possibility, but what of an honest answer, and Rodri came through straightforwardly. “I think we are close to that – it is easy to understand,” he said. “If you ask any player, they will tell you the same. It is not just Rodri’s opinion. It’s a feeling shared by everyone. And if things keep going on like this, we’ll get to a point where we won’t have an alternative. It is a very real concern because we’re on the receiving end.”
Rodri admitted that he couldn’t pinpoint an exact number in terms of the games that were absolutely perfect, but learned from experience that 60 to 70 games are just too many. “Between 40 and 50 games is where a player can perform at their best,” he explained. “After that, it becomes impossible to maintain the physical level required. This season, we could end up playing 70 or maybe even 80 games. It’s overwhelming, and we need to be careful. Someone has to look out for us because, at the end of the day, we are the central figures in this sport – whether you want to call it a business or something else.”
Rodri also touched on the broader impact of player fatigue on the overall quality of football. “It’s not just about money or marketing; it’s about the quality of the game itself. When I’m not exhausted, I perform better. If people want to see better football, we need time to rest.”
Not alone: Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson had similar grouses coming into the Champions League encounter between Liverpool and AC Milan. “Nobody asks the players what we think about adding more games, so maybe our opinion doesn’t matter,” Alisson said. “But everybody knows we are all tired of it.”
The Professional Footballers’ Association also weighed in on the sentiment, reiterating that the players, themselves and their representatives, have long been asking to be part of the decision-making process about scheduling the game. “When players are ignored, the natural consequence is that they will begin to consider all available options, said PFA. “Players have been clear: enough is enough. This should serve as a wake-up call to football authorities.”
Nothing, not even the most super of players like Erling Haaland is exempt from pressure in a congested calendar. Haaland, who did enjoy a restful summer courtesy of Norway missing out on qualification to Euro 2024, resumed mid-July. And already, he is off to a cracking start, having banged in nine goals in City’s opening four Premier League games, which has put his total in 103 appearances for the club into an astonishing 99. Yet the final is scheduled for July 13, 2025, which stretches the season to the kind of year-round grind almost every top player in the world endures.
While Pep Guardiola was joking earlier when he said Haaland still had room for improvement, he later stated that more games could push the star striker to greater heights. “If you tell me in the next 100 games he scores another 99 goals, I’ll take that,” Guardiola quipped. “But as many games as he plays for this club, he will naturally improve.”
As demands pile on elite footballers, Rodri is a sober reminder-even at the top of their game-that players have limits. Whether the solution can be found before a player strike becomes reality remains to be seen, but by all accounts, the issue is not disappearing anytime soon.
