The Big Lead

Soccer players strike in Europe? Rodri says they may have 'no other option'

By Joe Lago

Dec 6, 2022; Ar Rayyan, QATAR; Spain midfielder Rodri (16) controls the ball against Morocco during the second half in the round of sixteen match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Education City Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images
Dec 6, 2022; Ar Rayyan, QATAR; Spain midfielder Rodri (16) controls the ball against Morocco during the second half in the round of sixteen match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Education City Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images / Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images
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Soccer players are being pushed to their physical limits with an ever-growing, nonstop schedule that comprises club seasons from August to May and international competitions during the summer months.

With a new format adding more games to Europe's top club competition — the UEFA Champions League — players at the biggest and most successful clubs will find the 2024-25 season even more taxing. One world soccer star is finally saying enough is enough.

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Rodri, the star midfielder for Manchester City, said Tuesday that the possibility of a players strike is "close" because of the increasing workload.

"I think we are close to that, I mean, because it's easy to understand. ... If you ask any player, he would say the same," Rodri said.

"It's the general opinion of the players. And if it keeps this way, it will be a moment that we have no other option. I really think that. But let's see. I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen. But it's something that worries us because we are the ones that suffer."

Rodri went from helping Man City win the Premier League in England to playing for the Spanish national team this summer in the European Championships, where Spain won its fourth continental crown. For City this season, he'll likely play 60-70 matches, an amount that Rodri considers suboptimal.

"I think between 40 and 50 is the amount of games in which a player can perform at a highest level," he said. "After that, you drop because it's impossible to sustain that physical level."

"In my humble opinion, I think it's too much," he added. "I think we have to take care of ourselves. Someone has to take care of ourselves because we are the main characters of this sport or business, whatever you want to call it. Not everything is money or marketing. It's also the quality of the show.

"In my opinion, when I am rested and not tired, I perform better. If the people want to see better football, we need to rest."

And the players may have no choice but to go on strike to force necessary change.

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