Manchester City have been one of the most successful sides in England and Europe over recent years.
In addition to winning four consecutive Premier League titles, the Manchester club have also lifted multiple other domestic and European trophies.
This highlights how City, including Pep Guardiola and the players in his first-team squad, know what it takes to play in and go all the way in various competitions.
So far this season, the Blues are currently in the mix to potentially win another Premier League title are they are now second in the table behind Liverpool.
However, they have also been knocked out of the Carabao Cup and are currently situated in the knockout section of the Champions League table.
During what is now the final international break of 2024, one of the Citizens’ key players, who has played a crucial role in their previous trophy successes, has shared his thoughts on what he considers to be a big problem in football.
Ruben Dias threatens player strike over ‘extreme’ fixture schedule
Speaking at the recent Web Summit (via O Jogo), Ruben Dias didn’t hold back when sharing his views on this season’s fixture schedule.
He said: “To perform better, it is necessary to ensure that athletes are safe, but few care about the athletes, but rather the financial aspect and profit.
“This season especially will be the craziest yet, with the Club World Cup at the end of the season.
“We have to think about the players if we want to put on a good show, giving ourselves enough time to recharge our batteries and put on the best show.
“In the past, we had a normal number of games. We are now well beyond that normal. We have to focus the issue on the athletes, as we are the ones who play.
“We realise the industry we have around us, but it’s our bodies that are in question. We need to rest and breathe. If it has to be, it is important that we are all together and do it together, like another extreme situation.
“If we have to raise our voice and go on strike, we will do so.”
Bernardo Silva has also been outspoken about City’s ‘crazy’ fixture list
This isn’t the first time Dias has mentioned City’s busy schedule, as he shared a picture on his X account back in August of the club’s entire fixture list across each competition to highlight how many games the Blues could play.
The defender isn’t the only City player to speak out about the difficulties of such a busy schedule, as Bernardo Silva slammed City’s fixtures back in September, saying this on the matter.
He said: “The schedule is completely crazy.
“We’ll probably play every three days for months. It’s been absolutely absurd.
“In the Champions League, if you don’t qualify for the round of 16 you still have to play two more games. It’s true that the squads are bigger, but I’m not going to say that it’s easy. It hasn’t been easy.
“I spend very little time with my family and friends. The amount of games we’re subjected to is absolutely absurd.”
Given the change in the structure of the Champions League as well as the upcoming Club World Cup, it’s easy to see why players are now voicing their predominantly negative views on the fixture schedule.
Moving forward, with Dias mentioning a potential player strike, it’ll be intriguing to see if that materialises at any point in the near future.
