The world of football continues with its frenetic pace. After the Euro Cup and the Copa América, traditional leagues have returned to captivate fans from all continents.
But the 2024-2025 season calendar brings a series of complications that are beginning to put the idea of a players’ strike on the table. Last year, with the confirmation of the 2025 Club World Cup, various voices indicated that the number of matches per year was absurd, after these controversies the clubs that own the rights came out to put out the fire.
The father of Venezuelan soccer player Jhon Chancellor was kidnapped by the Maduro regime. (Photo by Aizar RALDES / POOL / AFP) | Photo: AFP
But with the confirmation of the new formats of European club competitions and the continuation of the national leagues,s, players are beginning to make their voices heard regarding the current schedule issues.
Manchester City player Bernardo Silva said that he has very little time to spend quality time with his family or friends, and that injuries resulting from physical strain mean that players spend more time in the infirmary than on the pitch.
The European giants could add up to more than 68 matches in the next 11 months, to which must be added the FIFA date breaks and the development of the first large-scale club world cup in mid-2025 and the Gold Cup, which will have the participation of Colombia and several teams from various continents.
With the arrival of the current FIFA date, The issue was blown to the winds. During the game between Bolivia and Venezuela, criticism of the stadium where the local team played was not long in coming. The Municipal Stadium of El Alto is located at 4,095 meters above sea level. If playing in La Paz was already a challenge for visitors, the new venue seems like a very risky bet for the health of all the components of the game.
Fussballliebe, which translates as “love for football”, is the ball for Euro 2024, held in Germany | Photo: Photo provided to SEMANA
On the other hand, criticism of the timing and climate of some matches aggravated the reputational crisis of the moment. Junior Firpo, player of the English Lees Unitedcriticized the permission granted by CONCACAF for the game between Bermuda and the Dominican Republic to be held.
The match between these two nations was played at midday with temperatures above 30 degrees. On a more local level, Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, criticized the time of the game against Colombia and the weather conditions they will have to face.
Finally, the current European champions raised their voice against the state of the pitches in their matches against Serbia and Switzerland, during the first rounds of the European Nations Cup. Next week, the European club competitions will begin, and international tournaments will also resume in South America.
In addition to these tournaments, there are also Olympic competitions, tournaments for the Under 17 and Under 20 categories and the new national supercups. In addition, there are the trips derived from each tournament and the long training sessions.
