Players 'close' to going on strikes - Rodri

[NotChatGPT]

https://www.skysports.com/football/...clubs-take-strongest-squads-to-new-tournament

 

[Cloud7]

Kimmich is the first player to acknowledge the stance that many fans have, that huge squads are there for a reason

 

[Hammondo]

Kimmich is the first player to acknowledge the stance that many fans have, that huge squads are there for a reason

From a player who plays for a team who play less games, rich.

 

[Changeisgood]

Kimmich just went up a notch for me personally. The biggest players are on the biggest teams and thus with the biggest squads. They have more games to play sure, but part of the difficulty of managing a big clubs is learning how to utilize that full squad and knowing when to rest players.

I have said this before, if a player is that worried about playing too many games, he should have a maximum games clause inserted into his contract. The few players that do want to play less are scared of looking bad, and having their worth lowered by doing it...so instead they want the associations to do it for them. Have the balls to do it yourself. This only affects a small amount of players.

 

[Bright_Eyes]

https://www.skysports.com/football/...clubs-take-strongest-squads-to-new-tournament

How is this enforced? How are the best squads measured and who measures it? I thought it was up to the manager/club to pick the squad to send to a tournament, not FIFA.

 

[hasanejaz88]

From a player who plays for a team who play less games, rich.

True. Playing in Germany versus England is no where near comparable. Not only do they have 34 league matches v 38 but also have one less competition (League Cup) and get an almost month long break in winter.

 

[Changeisgood]

Looks like he played in 52 matches last year for Bayern. Most of those were competitive. Not sure of him playing any internationals. More matches in England for sure, but he is playing for a club that goes deep in the CL.

 

[Acrobat7]

Looks like he played in 52 matches last year for Bayern. Most of those were competitive. Not sure of him playing any internationals. More matches in England for sure, but he is playing for a club that goes deep in the CL.

I randomly checked Saka and Haaland. They played less games than Kimmich.

 

[hasanejaz88]

I randomly checked Saka and Haaland. They played less games than Kimmich.

Haaland was injured for parts of last season. Regarding Kimmich vs Saka, are we looking at year or season? In season terms Saka played more than Kimmich (47 vs 42) but when you look at Rodri for example, he's played on average 51 games a season just for City in the past 5 seasons while Kimmich has played 42 per season for Bayern. That's a pretty big difference.

 

[Ahmer Baig]

Bayern CEO Karl–Heinz Rummenigge on players complaining about the congested schedule:

“I understand this argument. But the players and their agents have fallen into this trap. By demanding ever higher salaries, they are forcing the clubs to generate ever higher revenues. And where does this revenue come from? Through more games.

And that is why I say: we must sit down with all those involved and discuss without emotion what mechanisms we need to bring back more serious and rational times — including in terms of business.”

 

[Changeisgood]

Bayern CEO Karl–Heinz Rummenigge on players complaining about the congested schedule:

“I understand this argument. But the players and their agents have fallen into this trap. By demanding ever higher salaries, they are forcing the clubs to generate ever higher revenues. And where does this revenue come from? Through more games.

And that is why I say: we must sit down with all those involved and discuss without emotion what mechanisms we need to bring back more serious and rational times — including in terms of business.”

Exactly, in the end it's because they request that 300k+ salary. Demands are higher, because of it. If you ask for more recovery time and a lower wage....that can be built in. This is the equivalent of CEOs asking for 50 mil salaries and then saying they want 9-5 hours.

 

[Changeisgood]

I randomly checked Saka and Haaland. They played less games than Kimmich.

Yes, he is a player with a fairly high workload in my opinion. Not the highest, but he is up there.

 

[Oranges038]

Bayern CEO Karl–Heinz Rummenigge on players complaining about the congested schedule:

“I understand this argument. But the players and their agents have fallen into this trap. By demanding ever higher salaries, they are forcing the clubs to generate ever higher revenues. And where does this revenue come from? Through more games.

And that is why I say: we must sit down with all those involved and discuss without emotion what mechanisms we need to bring back more serious and rational times — including in terms of business.”

He's probably right.

Players can't want more money to play less games, it doesn't make financial sense for the clubs.

 

[Steve Bruce]

Haaland was injured for parts of last season. Regarding Kimmich vs Saka, are we looking at year or season? In season terms Saka played more than Kimmich (47 vs 42) but when you look at Rodri for example, he's played on average 51 games a season just for City in the past 5 seasons while Kimmich has played 42 per season for Bayern. That's a pretty big difference.

I follow a local Belfast side who up until recently where part time. Players played 60 games a season, had a full time job and trained 3 nights a week.

It was expected if you wanted to play at the club who are regularly successful. You wouldn't hear the players complaining and they where getting £400 a week.

Players today like society want everything for doing less.

Let's look at how football in England has changed since 1992.

The top division has less clubs = less matches

The match day squads are nearly double in size and now have 5 subs instead of 3 coming onto the pitch = more rest and rotation opportunities

The FA cup has abolished replays in most rounds = less games

The league cup isn't 2 legged anymore until semi final = less games

League cup doesn't have extra time and goes to straight to penalties = less playing time

Everything in domestic football has got much easier and less of a work load for the players than ever before.

The problem is greed of the authorities, greed of the clubs and greed of the players.

What has increased is the international games & increased sizes of tournaments.

Then we have European football that was once a straight knock out, then in a league format and then a vastly increased format.

Then we have the club world cup which is about to be increased.

We also have clubs going to America, Asia, Africa etc every summer as well.

The domestic game has been abused and has had to compromise itself for international and European football.

If we cut the premier league games down to 20. The clubs/authorities will just play 18 other games in the far reaches of the planet to make more money.

None of this is about player welfare and I include Rodri in that. It's all about money. Rodri wants loads of money but do less for it and the authorities and clubs want more games because it makes more money.

 

[NotThatSoph]

He's probably right.

Players can't want more money to play less games, it doesn't make financial sense for the clubs.

No, it's completely backwards. Companies don't chase revenue because they need to pay their employees, companies maximize profit and employ workers to achieve that. Players are able to negotiate high wages because the money is there, not the other way around.

Companies blaming labor is a tale as old as companies, though.

 

[Bowlcut11]

For me, the issue is international football. We have had two international breaks already in the first 2 months of the football calendar. What purpose did it serve? Pointless friendlies, pointless injuries.

Domestic football, as some of you have stated already, has made positive changes regarding replays and additional substitutions.

Bin international friendlies, bar maybe one or two a year, and just stick to the qualifiers.

 

[Vialli_92]

Until you're actually in the industry it's difficult to comprehend multi millionaires having it difficult but they are human like the rest of us.

Their bodies can only take so much so if they are trying to improve their working conditions then I wouldn't argue against them considering they're playing at the highest level of their sport and they are athletes.

I think money is irrelevant in this case because more money doesn't fix the problems with their intensive schedules and the tax it puts on the body.

 

[Chipper]

For me, the issue is international football. We have had two international breaks already in the first 2 months of the football calendar. What purpose did it serve? Pointless friendlies, pointless injuries.

Domestic football, as some of you have stated already, has made positive changes regarding replays and additional substitutions.

Bin international friendlies, bar maybe one or two a year, and just stick to the qualifiers.

To be fair they weren't just friendlies. The international windows had World Cup qualifiers for Asia, Oceania and South America, AFCON qualifiers for Africa. Plenty of Premier League players and others from big leagues involved in those.

Only Europe and North America with the Nations League stuff, and Europe's is relevant to some countries as it's a possible way into the World Cup. If you win your nations league group but don't finish top 2 in your World Cup qualification group next year you can earn a spot in the playoffs for the World Cup.

Obviously some European teams not taking the Nations League too seriously though. Those confident they won't need that pathway to the World Cup might be one set of teams such as England. Not sure if anyone is doing it, it can in theory be beneficial to be bad in the Nations League too, to be relegated to a weaker group for the next edition and use that as a possible way into a major tournament. Easier to target the Euros witht he way it is set up so there could well be some mediocre teams not trying their best in this version of the Nations League, looking to do better next time.

Still, there's always the argument that European Nations League could be scrapped alongside any pathway to qualify for tournaments through it. Not going to help the likes of Onana and Ugarte form United and many others like Salah, Luis Diaz, Gabriel, Son, Mitoma, Kudus. Even Chris Wood flying off to New Zealand for a qulifier last week.

 

[Acrobat7]

Bayern CEO Karl–Heinz Rummenigge on players complaining about the congested schedule:

“I understand this argument. But the players and their agents have fallen into this trap. By demanding ever higher salaries, they are forcing the clubs to generate ever higher revenues. And where does this revenue come from? Through more games.

And that is why I say: we must sit down with all those involved and discuss without emotion what mechanisms we need to bring back more serious and rational times — including in terms of business.”

Apart from the fact that he has not been the CEO for a few years, he is arguing things 180 degrees wrong. He is a polemicist who wants to put pressure on players and agents. The clubs are more and more commercialised and the players (as the only ‘source of income’ for the clubs) want their share of the extra revenue. If you look at the salary/turnover ratio, nothing has really changed in recent years.

 

[Lay]

For me, the issue is international football. We have had two international breaks already in the first 2 months of the football calendar. What purpose did it serve? Pointless friendlies, pointless injuries.

Domestic football, as some of you have stated already, has made positive changes regarding replays and additional substitutions.

Bin international friendlies, bar maybe one or two a year, and just stick to the qualifiers.

Some have been important qualifiers. However I personally would like the Wenger proposal where he suggested that all international qualifiers are played within a month and the leagues take a break.

I'm sure there's flaws to the idea but it seems good without thinking about the logistics of it all. Would mean we would do without players travelling around the world every few weeks. International football might even increase in quality.

 

[Bowlcut11]

Some have been important qualifiers. However I personally would like the Wenger proposal where he suggested that all international qualifiers are played within a month and the leagues take a break.

I'm sure there's flaws to the idea but it seems good without thinking about the logistics of it all. Would mean we would do without players travelling around the world every few weeks. International football might even increase in quality.

I get that there's important qualifiers mixed in but, like you say, the other nations just stick random friendlies in to fill the time.

Wenger method sounds good but I'm sure there are drawbacks I haven't considered

 

[Chipper]

I get that there's important qualifiers mixed in but, like you say, the other nations just stick random friendlies in to fill the time.

Wenger method sounds good but I'm sure there are drawbacks I haven't considered

Think the drawbacks would be club football fans not liking it at all having to go a month without matches. Potentially kills team momentum too I suppose.

From country's perspective, those good but not great nations with 1 or 2 stars/key players might end up missing out on tournaments if a 2-4 week injury just happened to coincide with a qualification window. Serbia without Vlahovic or Mitrovic for the entire qualification period, Hungary without Szoboszlai, Wales of yesteryear without Bale or Ramsey. You could say tough luck and point to the fact that such injuries can keep a player out of the finals should they qualify now and that this would be no different. Not sure a lot would be happy about the prospect though.