"A strike is the only solution to stop this" - Aymeric Laporte on fixture schedule

Aymeric Laporte has criticised, like many other footballers, the congested calendar players are being subjected. European club-competitions have all been expanded, as well as the Club World Cup, which have led to a severe increase in matches for players taking part in said competitions. 

The Spanish defender joined 'Rothen s'enflamme' in a podcast, in which he spoke out against the fixture schedule, stating that elevated rythyms are posing threat to players' well-being. He further mentioned that strike action, as Man City's Rodri initially suggested, would be the only way to stand up to decision-makers in the world of football, who are putting financial interest above player welfare. 

"There are too many matches, there's the additional playoff games for the players that are in the Champions League playoff, then for those joining their national teams, the Nations League has been added. It's getting too much," he said. Responding to a prompt on Rodri's idea that a strike could be necessary, the 30-year-old said: "At this point, it's the only choice we have to try to stop this because every year is getting worser and worser."

On the topic of injuries, which have been at the centre of talks in recent weeks, Laporte stated: "There are many Spanish players who couldn't come [for the Nations League games] due to fitness concerns. We warned everyone about this, so don't be surprised." The Spaniard stressed the fact that footballers should be prioritised in decision-making as they are "the ones that actually play the matches". 

In light of the amount of injuries recently, Laporte also warns that the player's mental health is being affected as well as the physical one. "We have been doing this for years so we are used to it, but at times we need to detach. We need to be able to take a step back and breathe a little. We can't train and play all the time. It's true that it is important for the fans, but we should also take into account that the rythym's too high, players are getting tired, there are problems with injuries, and so on," he concluded. 

 

October 8, 2024