The topic of a mammoth match schedule for the 2024/25 season continues to dominate conversations in the first week of the UEFA Champions League campaign.
Players and coaches constantly complain about the excessive number of games included in the season, with the potential for over 70 games to be played by some top stars.
Two extra games for each team in the Champions League, plus three international breaks before the end of 2024, have added to the frustration.
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From a broader perspective, next summer’s FIFA Club World Cup extends the season again, while the 2026 FIFA World Cup will expand the number of teams and matches involved.
Manchester City star Rodri Hernandez has been one of the most vocal critics of the schedule, with his own start to the season delayed by injury and Spain’s journey to Euro 2024 glory, and Barcelona defender Jules Kounde has backed the idea of a future strike.
Rodri on the players’ strike
Rodri spoke on the issue ahead of City’s first Champions League game of the season – a 0-0 draw at home to Serie A champions Inter Milan – in the first round of matches in the tournament’s new Swiss format.
“I think we are close to that (a strike) – it’s easy to understand,” Rodri said when asked if the increased demands of an expanded Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup could force players into action.
“If you ask any player, they will tell you the same thing: it’s not my opinion or anything else. It’s the general opinion of the players. If it continues like this, there will be a time when we will have no other choice. It’s something that worries us because we are the ones who are suffering.”
Jules Koundé’s response to Rodri
Manchester City have qualified for the Club World Cup, and Kounde’s FC Barcelona have not secured a place, but he is still concerned about the impact of the pressure on the players.
“I agree with what Rodri said. The calendar is getting longer and we have more games. We have been saying it for years, but they don’t listen to us,” he said. AS Journal ahead of Barcelona’s Champions League opener against AS Monaco.
“There will come a time when we will have to strike so that our voice is heard by those who decide. There are more and more injuries and less and less rest. Those who play in the Club World Cup will reach 70 matches, it’s crazy.”
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has already confirmed plans to offer players unofficial ‘holidays’ during the season as a tool to reduce overwork.
