Europa could cancel the Champions League and the Nations League in the face of an unexpected event. Faced with an excess of games and demanding schedules, the footballers of Europa They raise their voices and threaten a historic strike. The players’ agenda had been full of commitments for a long time, but the situation became unsustainable starting last week. In the talk prior to his team’s debut in the new Champions League, Rodrigo Hernández Cascantethe multi-champion with the Manchester City and the selection of Spainwas the recipient of a question that had to do with the increase in the number of games to which footballers are exposed this season.
His response made headlines. “I think we are close to a strike. It is easy to understand and is the general opinion of the players. We are concerned because we are the ones who suffer, but there will come a time when we will have no other option,” he said. 24 hours later, the French Jules Koundé agreed with the words of “Rodri”: “We have been saying for three, four or more years that the calendar is getting longer every season, but we are not listened to and no one pays attention to us, so we are going to have to go on strike because it will be the only one.” way to make those who decide listen to our voice.”
The first Argentine to speak out on the subject was Rodrigo dePaul: “This year there was competition with the Selectionnext is the Club World Cup and then the World Cup. It seems that if everything goes well for some time we will not have many vacations and I think it is a case to analyze, because we continue to be people who play football.”
Europe could face the cancellation of the Champions League and Nations League
The alarm has been raised due to the notable increase in the frequency of matches and the severity of injuries presented by players. For its part, Stéphane Burchkalteracting secretary general of the International Federation of Professional Footballers Associations (FIFPro)has publicly declared the importance of taking care of the physical and mental well-being of footballers: “It must be a priority if we want to maintain the integrity of the game.”
Weeks ago, a study prepared jointly by the analysis platform came to light Football Benchmark and the FIFPro. A report calling for a “holistic understanding” of the work an elite athlete performs, “encompassing both club and international duties, the demands of travel, work time, and the critical need for recovery and rest.” ”.
The study indicates that, out of 1,500 players studied, 54% face an excessive workload. On the other hand, 31% received a call to play in more than 55 games a year (a figure that doctors consider as a limit). Of them, 17% played them, 30% held periods of at least 6 consecutive weeks of two or more matches per week.
Likewise, he states that Julian Alvarez leads the world table of work overload in the 2023/2024 season, with 83 calls and 75 matches played. Another striking fact is that of Cristian Cuti Romerowho traveled more than 162,000 km on professional trips with different time slots.
Europe’s footballers could go on strike due to work overload
Under these circumstances, the expansion of the UEFA Champions League and, especially, the new world club competition sponsored by the FIFAwhose first edition would take place in USA between June 15 and July 13, 2025, seem to be the demands that could completely strain the situation between footballers and sports authorities.
“Those who are going to dispute that World “They are going to reach about 70 games in the season, it is simply crazy,” he said. Koundéas recorded The Nation. The footballers of Europa They are at their limit and, if a solution is not found soon, they could suffer the consequences. Champions League and the Nations League.
