Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri Hernandez has echoed the thoughts of Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, calling for action to address the burgeoning number of games being demanded of top teams. While the likes of Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola have mentioned the idea of a strike previously, Rodri is one of the first top stars to hint at it.
Ancelotti specifically said on Monday ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with Stuttgart that he was requesting UEFA and FIFA cut down on the number of games, citing them as responsible for the number of injuries.
City star Rodri joined him in saying so ahead of their Champions League debut against Inter.
“From my experience I can say that playing 60 or 70 games is not optimal. A player may be able to be at the highest level if he plays between 40 and 50 games, then his performance will drop. This year we may reach 80, and in my humble opinion this is too much. Someone must care about us because we are the protagonists of this sport, business or whatever you want to call it. Not everything can be money and marketing, the important thing is the quality of the show. In my opinion, if I’m not tired I can do better. If people want to see better football, then we need to rest.”
FIFPRO, the player’s union, have taken legal action against the introduction of FIFA’s Club World Cup in June, which has been expanded to 32 teams. Rodri said they were at the point of industrial action though.
“I think we’re about to get there. It is a widespread opinion among players, and if everything continues like this we will have no other option. I think this is something that really worries us, the ones who suffer from it are us.”
While clearly the physical toll can be measured easily, the mental toll is much more difficult to quantify, and Rodri highlighted its importance to Diario AS.
“These situations are resolved with mental health, trying to be strong, having the machine oiled, winning and doing well. We have had a good start to the season in that regard because the sooner you start a good streak, the easier it is to maintain it. It is key to be as fit as possible and as mentally strong as possible.”