Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated that any reforms to address football’s increasing fixture demands should be initiated by the players themselves.
This comes after City’s midfielder, Rodri, 28, expressed concerns on Tuesday, suggesting that footballers are “close to going on strike” in response to the overwhelming number of matches in the current schedule.
“If something is going to change, it must come from the players. They are the only ones who can change something,” Guardiola said.
“The business can be without managers, sporting directors, media, owners but without players you cannot play. They alone have the power to do it.”
In July, Fifpro, the global players’ union, announced plans to take legal action against Fifa, citing what it described as an “abuse of dominance” in football’s increasingly congested schedule.
A report from Fifpro highlighted concerns over player welfare, noting that the recommended cap for matches per season should be between 50 and 60, depending on a player’s age. This season’s fixtures could stretch until 13 July for some clubs, coinciding with the conclusion of the expanded Club World Cup.
Manchester City could potentially play up to 76 matches during the 2024-25 season, competing in the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League, Club World Cup, and Community Shield. Many players will also participate in international fixtures.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca echoed Pep Guardiola’s sentiments, agreeing that there is “no doubt” the current schedule involves too many games.
“I don’t think we protect the players. It’s completely wrong how many games [there are],” Maresca said.
“The only people who can do something is the players. We can help them.
“I think the last two weeks some of the players have explained what they think and I think it’s a good starting point. Some said strike could be an idea for them.”
Kompany calls for annual cap for players
Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany has advocated for an annual cap on the number of matches a player can participate in, citing concerns about the increasing workload.
Kompany’s team, like Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, is competing in the newly reformatted Champions League, which now includes at least two additional games before the knockout stage. Additionally, both teams will take part in the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup, scheduled to begin next summer.
“To play 75, 80 games, it gets to a point where it’s not realistic anymore,” said former City captain Kompany.
“The solution I’ve always wanted is to put a cap on the amount of games a player can play as an individual. Put a cap, a compulsory period of holidays [for players].”
Bayern could play up to 64 games this season, and again many of their players will also feature in national team games on top of that figure.
England captain Harry Kane played 45 times for Bayern last season and featured seven times for his country at Euro 2024, while the 31-year-old has already played twice in the Nations League for the Three Lions this season.
“It’s been a constant topic in recent years – I was part of the Fifpro players’ union, we always treated that very seriously,” Kompany added.
“As a player, I already called for a maximum number to be set for the games a player can play; it should be limited. That way you protect your health and the interests of the clubs. And ultimately also the coaches, because it’s not easy for them either. That would make a lot of sense.”
‘Talk of strikes means it’s five to midnight’
Borussia Dortmund manager Nuri Sahin, a former player for Liverpool, Real Madrid and Dortmund, believes the situation has reached five to midnight – in reference to the Doomsday Clock which conveys threats to humanity and the planet.
“When players are already talking about strikes, you know it’s five to 12,” Sahin said.
“Coaches like Jurgen Klopp and Guardiola have also been complaining about it for years. But nothing has changed.
“If the organisations or people don’t worry about it, then we have to worry about it.”
In 2022, then-Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp compared fixture congestion to the climate crisis, stating, “It is like with the climate. We all know we have to change, but people are like ‘what do we have to do?'”
Rodri’s Manchester City teammate, Manuel Akanji, even joked that he might need to retire by age 30 due to the unrelenting fixture schedule.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has also called for “a balance” to be struck between providing more football for fans and managing player workloads.
Liverpool’s goalkeeper Alisson Becker echoed these concerns, adding that players are not being heard and warning that no one in football is close to finding a solution to the problem of fixture congestion.