Manchester City midfielder Rodri says that top soccer players are getting close to going on strike because of the high number of games they have to play.
Rodri, who plays for Spain, mentioned that players are worried about how the game is changing with more matches being added to the schedule, especially in tournaments like the Champions League, which begins on Tuesday.
When asked on Tuesday if players might
Rodri, a midfielder for Manchester City, has said that top soccer players are nearing a strike due to the overwhelming number of games they must play.
The Spanish player noted that players are anxious about the future of the game as more matches are being added to the schedule, including those in the Champions League, which starts on Tuesday.
Rodri was asked on Tuesday if players might refuse to play because of the crowded schedule.
“I think we are close to that,” he said during a news conference before City’s Champions League match against Inter Milan on Wednesday. “It’s easy to understand. If you ask any player, he will say the same — it’s not the opinion of (just) Rodri or whoever. I think it’s a general opinion of the players.
“If it keeps this way, it will be a moment when we have no other option, I really think. It’s something that worries us because we are the guys who suffer.”
Rodri is expected to play his first game for City this season when Inter visits Etihad Stadium, after getting a longer break from the club following Spain’s win in the European Championship in July.
City has two more matches in the first stage of the Champions League and could have up to seven more games in the Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States at the end of the domestic season.
FIFA’s introduction of a 32-team Club World Cup, set to occur every four years, is seen by the global players’ union FIFPRO as a key moment for the growth of international tournaments.
