‘No other option’ – Rodri says players may strike

Rodri has warned that leading players are close to strike action amid growing concerns about the increasingly punishing schedule.

Manchester City could play 75 games this season as a result of the expansion of the Champions League and the new Club World Cup next summer. With international matches on top, it is possible some players could face up to 85 matches this term.

Rodri – who is in contention to win the Ballon d’Or – made 63 appearances for club and country last season, when he followed up a fourth Premier League title success with victory in the European Championship with Spain.

He believes the optimum number of games to play would be between 40 and 50 and that the quality of matches is suffering because players are being overworked to extreme levels. According to the latest research, the average number of matches for a Champions League club last season was 50.8.

Rodri has urged football’s governing bodies to start thinking about the welfare of players and the quality of the product over money and warned players may be left with no choice but to strike if their pleas continue to go unanswered.

Asked if it will get to the point where players strike or refuse to play over complaints about the unrelenting calendar, Rodri echoed concerns raised by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson and said: “Yeah, I think we are close to that. It is easy to understand.

‘We are the guys that suffer’

“I think it’s something general. 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.

“I can only tell you about my club and my national team but it is something we are worried about. It is not the same for all the players, not all of them play 60 games, but it depends on the team and if you play more or less, but all of us we think the same. It’s about time for a break.”

Speaking ahead of City’s opening Champions League game at home to Inter Milan on Wednesday, he added: “From my experience can I tell you that 60-70 [games per season is right]? No.

“Between 40 and 50 is the amount of games in which a player can perform in the highest level. After that you drop because it is impossible to sustain the physical level.

“This year we can go to 70, maybe 80, I don’t know – it depends how far you go in the competitions. In my humble opinion, I think it is too much. I think we have to take care of ourselves.

“When I am not tired I perform better and if the people want to see better football, we need to rest.

“When the amount of games starts getting bigger, the performance and quality are lower.”

A spokesperson for the Professional Footballers’ Association said: “Players are repeatedly saying that ‘enough is enough’, and this must now act as a serious wake-up call to the authorities.”

Fifa did not respond to Rodri’s comments but reiterated the current calendar was “unanimously approved”.

City’s 2-1 win over Brentford on Saturday was Rodri’s first game since Spain’s Euro 2024 final win over England two months ago and he said the break was imperative for his physical and mental health.

Erling Haaland enjoyed the summer off and a full pre-season and has started the new campaign with nine goals in four games, with Rodri citing his City team-mate as the perfect example of the benefits of having a proper rest.

“Yeah, maybe he is a good example,” Rodri said. “He had a long break because his country [Norway] didn’t qualify for the Euros and you see how he is performing right now. He is turning into that beast we saw in the early days and it gives you a clue why we ask this.”

Haaland can eclipse Ronaldo – thanks to a rest

Haaland will become the quickest player to 100 goals for a single club if he scores against Inter in City’s first meeting with the Italian clubs since beating them in the Champions League final in Istanbul 16 months ago.

Cristiano Ronaldo currently holds the accolade, having scored 100 goals in his first 105 appearances for Real Madrid but Haaland – who has 99 goals in 103 games for City – can eclipse the Portugal forward if he gets on the scoresheet against Inter.

City manager Pep Guardiola said Haaland was benefiting from being free of the muscular issues with which he was forced to wrestle during his first two seasons at the club.

“The difference from last season is he feels his body – the niggles, tiredness – is better,” Guardiola said. “He came from Dortmund with a lot of problems, muscular problems in the first month, and struggled a little bit.

“So far [this season] he feels ‘I’m clean, I’m good here and no problems’. But when there is a game every three or four days, I don’t know in one or two or three months’ time [what happens].”

Asked if he was surprised by the volume of goals Haaland has scored, Guardiola added: “A little bit, yeah. Do you know what, I played 11 years as a professional and I scored 11 goals [for Barcelona]. This guy scored nine goals in four games. He can equal me in one more game! So he’s surprised me.”