Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has voiced his frustration regarding the crowded schedules professional football players have had to endure for several seasons. According to the Catalan coach, players are subjected to an excessive number of matches, which limits their recovery time.
In an interview with The Athletic, Guardiola suggested that players might contemplate going on strike to force a change. He believes this would compel football governing bodies such as UEFA and FIFA to react and adjust schedules accordingly.
« There’s only one solution, that all players decide to say STOP. Then, they will be forced to change something. FIFA and UEFA will have to react. When there’s a break, it should be a proper break. I always use the NBA as an example. They play 80 games in a few months, but after that, they have 3 or 4 months off, and you can regenerate, » he stated.
Guardiola further emphasized, « If players want to change something about football, they are the only ones who can do it. Look at Spain with the women’s team; the players decided to change something, and they did. Without Pep, football will go on, but without the players, the show cannot continue. It depends on them. »