Will players really strike over too much football?

Manchester City midfielder Rodri said connected Tuesday that players were "close" to taking onslaught action aft different summation successful matches this season.

The Spain midfielder played 63 competitory games for nine and state past season, and featured for 6,107 minutes betwixt July 2023 and July 2024, including pre-season friendlies.

He said retired a time aft Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson said players were not being listened to and that no-one was adjacent to a solution to fixture congestion.

A recent report said a subordinate use 'red line' was a maximum of betwixt 50 and 60 matches per season, depending connected a player's age.

But is onslaught action likely? Is it moreover possible? What are nan legalities down it all?

BBC Sport has taken a look astatine immoderate of nan questions.

A caller study of subordinate workload by nan CIES Football Observatory - a investigation group astatine nan International Centre for Sports Studies - suggested astir clubs were not playing much matches per play than they were 12 years ago.

The study said only 0.31% of players featured successful 61 aliases much games; different 1.8% played 51-60 games; and different 6.8% played 41-50 games a season.

It recovered that betwixt 2012 and 2024, nan mean number of fixtures per nine per play was conscionable complete 40, pinch astir 5% of clubs playing 60 aliases much games per season.

It looked astatine nan workloads of betwixt 18,000 and 21,000 master footballers crossed 40 leagues complete 12 years, uncovering an mean of 22.7 matches per player. Minutes played has remained mostly stable.

Southampton head Russell Martin said he "didn't think" his players were willing successful striking aft their promotion to nan Premier League.

He said: "We've gone from 50 games to 38 and a mates of cup games truthful I deliberation our lads will beryllium delighted."

But he did add: "I deliberation something's going to springiness astatine immoderate point. I deliberation that will beryllium that nan value will beryllium diluted astatine nan apical level.

"The apical players... you'll spot little of them because of injuries, truthful I deliberation he [Rodri] has a very bully point and I deliberation it needs to beryllium looked astatine - nan use of nan guys playing internationals and nan Champions League."

Ross Meadows, caput of employment astatine rule patient Oury Clark, said: "In practice, I deliberation this will beryllium a past edifice if co-ordinated done nan Professional Footballers' Association aliases Fifpro arsenic location are important ineligible hurdles to flooded to person a lawful strike, including a ballot to each members and announcement to nan Premier League clubs.

"The PFA, for example, typically seeks to resoluteness disputes done negotiations alternatively than strikes. Historically, shot players person avoided onslaught action successful favour of corporate bargaining and unit done their union."

Former England and Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart said connected BBC Radio 5 Live that Rodri and Alisson were "just speaking from their hearts".

"Two players location that are going to speak honestly," he said. "They're not rash guys, they're not guys who sensationalise everything. I'm judge they conscionable answered questions.

"Rodri, successful particular, was asked whether they're adjacent to going connected strike. I don't deliberation successful nan forefront of his mind was reasoning 'you cognize what we are up to... that is really nan plan'.

"He is conscionable saying that astatine immoderate constituent they're going to person to guidelines up for themselves because it is simply a batch of football, and erstwhile you're successful nan crippled and you're truthful focused connected winning and doing your champion each day, nan format doesn't really let for that.

"But shot changes and evolves each nan time. The clubs find ways, nan coaches find ways, nan squads will alteration and get stronger. It will conscionable mean you will person to put deeper into your 24/25-man squad."

Ross Meadows, caput of employment astatine rule patient Oury Clark:

"Striking is somewhat much analyzable nether UK employment law. Provided definite ineligible requirements are met, players could onslaught and can't legally beryllium forced to play. Football clubs could, however, determine to not salary them during onslaught action aliases writer them for breach of statement - nan second being improbable successful practice.

"If nan onslaught does not meet nan ineligible requirements, players could beryllium disciplined aliases moreover sacked.

"Realistically, this will not hap successful practice. For example, I cannot ideate Manchester City sacking a subordinate of Rodri's calibre and cost, which would let a nine for illustration Real Madrid to perchance motion him up connected a free transfer. It is much apt nan clubs would backmost nan players."

Ross Meadows, caput of employment astatine rule patient Oury Clark:

"Typically, nan contracts will not person circumstantial provisions allowing for onslaught action, withdrawing labour aliases refusing to play - and truthful it could beryllium a breach of statement unless location is simply a ineligible justifiable reason.

"The contracts are apt to person clauses related to remainder periods and betterment betwixt matches. These are usually linked to Fifa and Uefa regulations."

Professional Footballers' Association main executive Maheta Molango on BBC Radio 5 Live:

"We request to now specify what this whitethorn look like.

"We want to springiness privilege to our home competitions. This is nan breadstuff and food of our players. I don't deliberation nan rumor is domestically.

"The problem is much world competition, particularly nan nationalist squad competition, for example. Or this new format of Club World Cup, which is happening successful nan summer, truthful I don't deliberation nan attraction is forcibly connected home competitions.

"If nan players consciousness that we request to return further action - past I deliberation we will."

BBC Sport main shot news newsman Simon Stone:

"Strike action has been threatened galore times successful nan modern crippled but seldom has it really happened - and thing connected nan standard envisaged.

"The rumor present is which games would beryllium targeted - Premier League? EFL Cup? Champions League?

"And while Rodri - astatine nan apical of his occupation - has a burnout issue; a subordinate astatine a Premier League nine that doesn't suffice for Europe and gets knocked retired successful nan first disposable information of some home competitions only has a maximum 40 games to play.

"That disparity makes statement among each players look difficult to scope - and it is not wholly clear what nan PFA's scheme is, moreover if their ineligible action is successful."

Southampton leader Russell Martin said: "It's relentless and they don't really person overmuch of a life extracurricular of football, truthful I propose it's astir apt not very patient - which is why a batch get to nan extremity and location are large stats connected group struggling.

"There'll beryllium loads of group who'll beryllium reasoning conscionable get connected pinch it, you play shot for a surviving - but it's really reliable to play astatine nan strength they play astatine for nan magnitude they're being asked to."

Joe Hart told BBC Radio 5 live: "There's nary concealed to it. It's difficult work. You person to really dedicate yourself to rest.

"If you effort to trim corners and effort to unrecorded an other life arsenic good arsenic being a apical footballer, you're going to get recovered out.

"At nan moment, I person nary uncertainty it [the schedule] looks daunting. That's high-end shot and that's nan qualities that are required to beryllium successful those squads.

"There's nary correct reply because you request to show nan truth and you request to look aft your assemblage but past you besides request to beryllium realistic because personification other is chomping astatine nan spot to get successful your place.

"It's a stone and a difficult spot successful position of trying to negociate it. That's why nan governing bodies, group astatine nan game, moreover group for illustration myself now will person to look into this and opportunity 'What is right? How tin we protect?' We each want to watch awesome games of shot but we don't want group getting wounded for nan liking of it."

BBC Sport main shot news newsman Simon Stone: "Rodri wasn't asked nan mobility connected Tuesday, but I wonderment if he would beryllium consenting to return a 25% salary trim to let his workload to beryllium trim by 25%?

"Or would he reason that because nan games - successful mentation - were better, they would beryllium worthy more?"

Ross Meadows, caput of employment astatine rule patient Oury Clark:

"Players could bring ineligible action against their employer if subordinate information is an issue. For example, if they judge that nan measurement of games is breaching wellness and information regulations aliases different contractual obligations related to remainder and recovery.

"They could besides raise concerns nether wellness and information law, particularly if nan accrued workload is starring to wounded risks.

"They could besides situation nan summation successful games nether nan Working Time Regulations 1998, which supply for capable remainder play and limits connected moving hours, albeit these regulations are not typically applied to master athletes.

"They could return little drastic forms of protestation specified arsenic wearing armbands and displaying messages connected their shirts to raise consciousness of their concerns astir their schedule.

"Whilst specified actions could lead to disciplinary action by their nine aliases nan league, they whitethorn not, provided they do not interfere pinch their halfway obligations of playing."

During their Champions League lucifer connected Tuesday, Bayern Munich fans held up respective banners protesting against nan competition's description .

They highlighted excessively galore games and events, excessively overmuch workload, complexity and financial imbalance and said: "Back to nan roots, undo caller CL format."

Rodri surely sewage nan BBC assemblage talking.

The highest rated of 1,600 scholar comments connected nan communicative was from 'Witsend56'. It read: "This conscionable confirms that footballers unrecorded successful a different world. Last week it was a subordinate who stated: 'What different occupation do you person to return abuse?'

"Well effort moving successful a shop aliases schoolhouse aliases a situation aliases infirmary aliases nan police. Just immoderate of nan jobs that get abused each time some beingness and verbal. Now they kick astir nan number of games they person to play. Isn't that why teams person immense squads?"