Source: REUTERS/Molly Darlington
[Saba Sports News] Recently, Manchester City midfielder Rodri discussed the increasingly congested schedule for top players during a press conference. The revamped Champions League for the new season has increased to eight matches before the knockout stage, and next year’s Club World Cup will also undergo changes, increasing the number of participating teams to 32. When asked if players might strike in protest, Rodri stated: “I think we are getting close to that point. Some common situations are easy to understand; you can ask any player, and they would say the same. If things continue to develop this way, we will have no choice; let’s wait and see. From my experience, I can tell you that playing 60-70 matches a year is exhausting. I believe that 40-50 matches is already the limit for performing at your best; if there are more matches, your performance will decline because your body cannot handle that many games.” Playing so many consecutive matches is too tiring; players indeed need to take care of their bodies since they are the main characters on the field or the “money-making” roles—however you want to call it.