Guess what, football fans? 🏟️ Manchester City's midfield maestro, Rodri, just dropped some serious truths! On Tuesday, he told reporters that players are feeling overwhelmed by the ever-increasing number of games each season.
\"I think we are close to that, it's easy to understand,\" the Spanish playmaker shared. \"If you ask any player, they'll say the same. It's not just my opinion.\"
Rodri knows a thing or two about heavy schedules. He made a whopping 63 appearances for City last season and kept the momentum going with Spain in the UEFA European Championship until July 14.
He added, \"If it keeps this way, there will be a moment where we have no other option. It's something that worries us because we're the ones who suffer.\"
This Wednesday, City faces Inter Milan at the Etihad Stadium to kick off their UEFA Champions League campaign. While big clubs are no strangers to packed calendars, the load has been ramping up lately.
\"From my experience, between 40 to 50 games is the amount where a player can perform at the highest level,\" Rodri explained. \"After that, you drop because it's impossible to sustain physically. This year we could reach 70, maybe 80 games. In my humble opinion, that's too much.\"
With City competing in the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Champions League, and FIFA Club World Cup this season, some players might hit up to 85 games by the end of the 2024-25 campaign. Talk about a marathon! 🏃♂️💨
Reference(s):
Manchester City midfielder Rodri: Overloaded players 'close' to strike
cgtn.com
