Pep Guardiola has told football’s top players that only they can force change in the growing debate over the number of games they play.
Manchester City midfielder Rhodri said the players are looking forward to the game because of their increasingly busy schedules, which will be heightened next year by the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
The city manager said Friday that sports stars can “do something” if they want to fight.
“If something is going to change, it must always come from the players,” admitted Guardiola. “That business (football) may not have coaches, sporting directors, press, or owners, but without players it cannot be discussed.”
The players’ union has already sued FIFA for hosting an expanded Club World Cup, which will feature 32 teams for the first time next year, up from seven at present. The tournament takes place during the regular season for most leagues, from June to July.
Players’ union FIFPRO expressed concern about the increased physical and mental demands on players, but the European Club Association, which represents Europe’s top clubs, welcomed the tournament.
Unions in England and France filed a lawsuit against FIFA in the Brussels Commercial Court in July against FIFA’s “unilateral decision on the calendar of international matches” set by football’s world governing body.
The Champions League has also been expanded this season and will have two more matches.
Rodri played in 10 different tournaments in 2022-2023 when the calendar was packed with the World Cup in the middle of the season. Last season he played 64 games for his team and the Spanish national team.
City will finish the season with the Club World Cup, which will include seven more matches if City reach the final.
Rodri, who was nominated for the Ballon d’Or, insisted that the strike was necessary in order to take action.
“If this continues, there will come a time when we will have no other choice,” he admitted. “This is what worries us because we are suffering.”
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany believes that in order to limit the demand for top players, the number of games a player can play in a season should be limited.
With the 2025 Club World Cup, the world’s best players will be present for three years in a row with major off-season competitions such as the European Championship and Copa América in the summer and the 2026 World Cup.
