Footballers have been openly critical of the match calendar in recent months as club competitions and international tournaments are revamped and increased in size.
With UEFA changing the formats of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League as well as FIFA expanding its World Cup and Club World Cup, players have started to voice their concerns over what they believe is an unsustainable rise in fixtures.
Some of the game’s biggest stars have spoken out about the hectic schedule and cruelly been downed by injuries of varying significance soon after. While Rodri’s importance to Manchester City was widely reported on after he suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury, he’s not the only footballer to be recovering on the sidelines after opening up about the increased demand.
Here are some of the unlucky stars who have needed time on the treatment table lately.
Man City and Spain midfielder Rodri seemed to become an unofficial spokesperson for footballers when he took aim at the increased workload back in September.
The Euro 2024 winner revealed players are getting fed up and admitted there had even been talk of potentially striking.
He said: “Yes, I think we are close to [striking]. If it keeps this way we will have no other option. It is something that worries us.
“Between 40 and 50 is the amount of games in which a player can perform at the highest level. After that you drop because it is impossible to sustain the physical level. This year we are maybe going to go until 70 or maybe 80. In my humble opinion, I think it is too much.”
Rodri was then proven right in a horrible way as he collapsed during City’s meeting with Premier League title rivals Arsenal. He’s not expected to play again this season.
Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min has also spent time on the sidelines recently, though his knock is far less catastrophic than Rodri’s.
The South Korean admitted last month he doesn’t feel players are being looked after, with some top international players at risk of featuring in close to 85 games this season.
Speaking at a fan forum, Son said: “We can’t control it. We feel we are not being looked after when someone goes to the Euros, [has] only two weeks holiday and then back into pre-season to start the season. This is tough.
“We definitely need to make some changes, yes. What we want to see is quality games, not as many games as possible. If the games are as many as they are now, the players [will] get injured, will not perform as well and I think this is not what we want to see.
“We definitely need to change something and players need to step up and say something.”
The rebuke from the injury gods was quick once again. Son came off with a complaint in the 3-0 Europa League win over Qarabag and hasn’t been seen since, though a return is thought to be close.