If Rodri is soliciting sympathy through his threat to go on strike, his last resort in railing against an excessive workload, he might find he hears only the sound of the world’s smallest violin.

Manchester City's Rodri said players are "close" to going on strike in protest of the crowded soccer calendar, which has increasingly become a point of tension in the sport amid concerns about player welfare.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri claimed this week that elite-level players are 'close' to going on strike, as the football calendar gets busier than ever in the 2024-25 season

Manchester City midfielder Rodri says top soccer players are close to going on strike because of the number of games they are having to play.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has suggested players are "close" to going on strike because of concerns over their increasing workload.

Manchester City star Rodri Hernandez has been one of the fiercest critics of the scheduling, with his own season start delayed by injury and Spain's run to Euro 2024 glory, and Barcelona defender Jules Kounde has backed the idea of a future strike.

Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois has warned that players may be forced to strike over the increasing number of games

Barcelona defender Jules Kounde “agreed with everything” said by Manchester City’s Rodri on footballers being “close” to striking over the volume of matches. The mass expansion of the Club World Cup by FIFA — coupled with an increase in Champions League matches in UEFA’s new competition format — has swelled the club calendar.

Luke Entwistle reporting from Monaco Manchester City midfielder Rodri (28) evoked the idea of a strike in reaction to the increasingly packed schedule. Barcelona’s Jules Koundé (25) has echoed