Manchester City star midfielder warns players are on the brink of a strike

Rodri has managed to make probably the most whispered conversation in small groups among players public: there are too many games in European soccer. In a press conference just before his team made its Champions League bow, Rodri didn't hold words back. He even raised the possibility of a strike of players if something did not change in this over-loaded calendar, underlining that, as such, performance and quality are in danger in this soccer.

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Rodri's admission brought into the open a more serious problem that has plagued soccer for many years: an over-indulgence of games that is taking its toll on professional players beyond breaking point. And, as he said, it's not just about physical fatigue, it's about sustaining a standard of entertainment which fans and competitions demand.

New Champions League format

The Champions League format is different this season, according to UEFA, the organizing body of the league, from a team level-basis of six home-and-away matches in the group stage out to a league system, pitting each team against eight opponents. That is two to four more games than previous formats.

This new format also created a home-and-away playoff for teams that don't get directly into the round of 16; in practice, that equates to more travelling, more training, and by definition more burden on the players. Not forgetting the extra new FIFA Club World Cup.

Rodri was emphatic as he pointed to Erling Haaland, his teammate, for a clear example of how rest affects performance. The Norwegian forward, who had a full break due to Norway's absence from the Euros, returned top and started hammering in an astonishing nine goals in five games in the 2024/25 season. This, Rodri insists, only echoes what players have been asking for: more recovery time between games.

A strike on the horizon?

It's not some imaginary strike that would happen in some imagined future either. Rodri believes this is all becoming more realistic because it is one of those situations where the players have reached a breaking point. "Ask any other player, and they will tell you the same thing," he said. His words put into perspective a growing feeling among Europe's best athletes-many whom feel that though schedules continue to pack on more and more games, players' health and well-being continue to take the backseat.

Examples include complaints from Real Madrid's Luka Modric, Manchester City's Manuel Akanji, and Liverpool's Alisson Becker-the list of complaints against this extra burden goes on. A legitimate fear is echoed across many elite athletes who believe that organizations like UEFA and FIFA are more for profit rather than the physical and mental well-being of their players.

Money, marketing, or quality soccer?

The critique by Rodri goes beyond the circle of frustration and touches something sensitive: the commercialization of soccer. "It is not everything about money or marketing; it also has to do with the quality of the show," emphasized the player, who senses that in that financial and commercial burden there is something weighing on soccer itself, which is the spectacle that the fans will see on the field.

It is big business that moves billions of euros every season. Big tournaments, like the Champions League, the Premier League, and other international competitions are more popular than ever; they attract sponsors, huge TV deals, and all this turns the clubs into money-making machines. The cost for such growth is paid by the players, who very often have to play in suboptimal conditions, with little time for proper recoveries.

Rodri is right: if players are rested, the ball is nicer. Not only do injuries or physical exhaustion decrease, but the mental sharpness and technical quality have also improved during the matches. The excess of encounters reduces the performance, which directly touches another aspect: the show the fans will pay for.

Unsustainable reality of the calendar

For a team like Manchester City, which may contest up to 75 matches in a season, this is close to an inhuman calendar. This does not include international duty, which will take this figure beyond 80 for many of them. Rodri confirmed that in his experience, 40 to 50 games per season maximum may be the top-level player's limit. More than that, it's just impossible to maintain.

Instead, we arrive at a reality that is quite different. The players are suffering under the load not only of matches but also exhausting travel and constant readiness to play in various tournaments. Year after year, this list gets longer and longer, while the time between the games for recovery gets smaller and smaller.

The moment has come when clubs and soccer's governing bodies need to step in. But with the actual trend of packing the calendar with more and more matches, only one thing can make the threat of a player strike or revolt very real. As Rodri made clear, this isn't about will to strike; it is about need. Players are human beings, and they need rest, time to recover above all, so that they can keep on performing at the highest level.