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“Players going on strike?” Rodri asked at a press conference in the build-up to Manchester City’s opening UEFA Champions League game against Internazionale of Milan. “I think we are close to that, it is easy to understand.
“I think if you ask any player, he will say the same.It is not the opinion of Rodri or whatever. I think it’s the general opinion of the players. And if it keeps this way, there will be a moment where we have no other option, I really think, but let’s see.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen but it’s something that worries us because we are the guys that suffer. It is not the same for all the players. Not all play 60 games, but all of us think the same.”
Strong words, and that too from a player who is a shoo-in for a present-day World XI. And Rodri’s words found support from the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) in England, which called it a ‘wake-up call’ for the game’s authorities. “In recent weeks, our members have made their feelings very clear when it comes to the fixture calendar and player workload,” said a PFA statement. “Players and their unions have asked to be listened to and to be a central part of these processes. When they are ignored, then the natural consequence is that players will begin to consider all options available to them.”
The first issue to examine then is whether the players are actually overworked. Consider these numbers. In 1976-77, Bob Paisley’s Liverpool won the Division 1 title and the European Cup, and lost the FA Cup final to Manchester United. It was the closest any English team had come to winning the treble. That season, four Liverpool stars played more than 60 games, with Ray Clemence and Emlyn Hughes being part of all 62.
Fast forward to 2021-22, when Liverpool played every game possible while coming agonisingly close to a quadruple. That season, only Alisson, the goalkeeper (54), and Virgil van Dijk (51) made more than 50 starts. Next-highest was Trent Alexander-Arnold, who began 47 of the 63 matches.
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A year later, City and Pep Guardiola emulated Manchester United’s class of 1998-99 by winning the treble of league, FA Cup and Champions League. Rodri led the way with 56 appearances, but only four others played in more than 50 games.
Much ado about nothing then? Not quite. If you listen to Alisson, it’s obvious where the blame lies. “For us players as well, it is good that you are going to play against the best in Europe – and it is always a good idea to add some games to the calendar that is not busy… I am being ironic a little bit,” he said before Liverpool returned to the revamped Champions League with a game against AC Milan. “Nobody asks the players what they think about adding more games, so maybe our opinion does not matter.But everybody knows what we think about having more games. Everybody is tired of that.”
These ‘more games’ can almost all be attributed to FIFA and the continental federations, and their limitless greed. When Liverpool won the European Cup in 1977, they needed just nine matches to do so. The winner of this Champions League will lift the trophy after a marathon 15-match campaign.
Back then, the Intercontinental Cup was such an afterthought that Liverpool decided not to play home and away against Boca Juniors. Next summer, FIFA’s new Club World Cup will span a whopping 29 days. The 1978 World Cup in Argentina lasted 25 days. The expanded 48-team version in North America and Mexico in 2026 will be two weeks longer.
In 1976, the final stages of Euro 1976 lasted five days. Four years later, in Italy, it was 12. When Spain won a couple of months ago, the tournament lasted a month. Until 1987, the Copa America wasn’t even played with a one-host format. That year, it lasted 16 days. The 2024 edition spanned 25.
Except for a minor tweak or two – Liverpool played 42 league games in 1976-77, not 38 as they do now – the club-football structure has changed little over the decades. What bothers the players is the off-season being reduced to nothing by bloated international tournaments and new additions. As Rodri and Alisson have suggested, push will come to shove sooner rather than later.
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