Top European players threaten to embark on strike over congested football calendar

They argue that playing over 60 games in a single season is harmful to their health due to the immense stress involved.

Among these players are Rodri from Manchester City, Dani Carvajal from Real Madrid, Jules Koundé from FC Barcelona, and Virgil Van Dijk from Liverpool, among several others.

Former footballers turned pundits Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry support the players’ call for a strike if the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) does not address the overloaded schedule.

The crowded European football schedule, which includes league matches, league cup matches, qualifying matches, Nations League games, and the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup, has raised concerns about player welfare.

Here are some of the players’ statements:

Jules Koundé (FC Barcelona):

Every year we have more games and less rest. We players have been saying this for 3-4 years now but nobody pays attention to us. The time will come when we will have to go on strike to make ourselves heard.

Rodri (Manchester City):

I think we are close to going on strike. It’s the general opinion of players, and if it keeps this way, we will have no other option. In my experience, I can count 60 to 70 games a season, but I think 40 to 50 games will allow the players to perform at the highest level.

Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid):

Going on strike as players is a possibility, the players are not taken into account, we have to raise our voices.

Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool):

While it is true that players are paid well, it is also true that we have more and more games, and this is already beginning to affect our health; you can see it in the number of injuries. We as players must say something in order to reach a solution.