Sport

It’s possible to have ‘too much of a good thing’ in Football.

Football feels like it is at breaking point. There are too many games, too much of a good thing, and the players, those who matter most of all, are speaking about it.

For too long now, footballers have been viewed as commodities. Fans can forget they are human when criticising performances, they are bought and sold and that is widely accepted as simply part of the game. Yes, they are well paid, but the lack of mental health support has been lacking in the game for too long. It is about time that the players spoke up, because they need support and backing in this fight for respect, even if generally speaking, they are dismissed as entitled, overpaid prima donnas.

That attitude has definitely fuelled the game ignoring them, and the desire for endless sponsorship and broadcast deals means that money is now the only important thing. The extended Champions League format, which is seen as UEFA’s direct response to the 2021 coup of the European Super League, has been painted as a way to make Europe’s biggest club competition more enticing earlier, but nobody speaks about the fact it favours and appeases the bigger clubs who attempted to break away, and even fewer are mentioning the knock-on effect of it eating into the winter break.

Previously, the Champions League ended in December and restarted in February. Now it runs all the way to January, which means an already bursting schedule is now under more strain. It lines the pockets of rich folk, but the players are paying the price. The irony of the whole thing is those who are taken for granted are most often criticised for the size of their wage packages.

But the biggest issue is the new FIFA Club World Cup, which is moving from being a tournament viewed as something of an afterthought in Europe in December, to a full blown equivalent of the international version in the summer. With the majority of the best players in the world likely to feature, it means they are sacrificing another summer for another tournament, in an era where the breaks between seasons was already shrinking and pre-season tours, driven by revenue, were getting bigger and more lucrative. Considering all that, it is ridiculous even before you add in the fact that players are effectively being used as pawns in a fight for control of football between FIFA and UEFA.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri was the first to speak out, claiming players are close to a revolt around a week before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Tottenham’s Son Heung-min then added to the conversation, before France defender Raphael Varane retired from football aged just 32 after a string of injuries, hardly helped by the increasing fixture list.

“I think we are close to (striking). I think if you ask any player he will say the Yous ame,” said Rodri.

“It is not the opinion of Rodri or whatever. I think it’s the general opinion of the players.

“And if it keeps this way, there will be a moment where we have no other option, I really think, but let’s see.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen but it’s something that worries us because we are the guys that suffer.”

Footballers are often told what they should and shouldn’t think. Strike action is not likely to be imminent, but the fact it has been mentioned should set alarm bells ringing.

Too often, they are seen as products and objects. That simply must change, before it is too late.