Henry, Carragher, Guardiola, Ten Hag And Others Comment On Player’s Workload

A week after Rodri warned of strike action over increasing workload, the Manchester City midfielder is facing a long injury layoff a cruel twist of fate that has further fuelled the debate around player wellbeing amid an intense schedule.

Former players and managers such as Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, Pep Guardiola, and Erik ten Hag also recently joined the growing chorus calling for change.

Former Arsenal striker Henry remarked that players have lost their enjoyment of the game, while former Liverpool defender Carragher likened them to livestock.

The power of players to do anything about it is being eroded, said Mark O’Sullivan, associate professor of football at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences.

“The whole game is subverted, and it’s just been aimed at consumers by FIFA and UEFA, squeezing the last few drops out of the globalized lemon, and they’re degrading the welfare of players,” O’Sullivan told Reuters in an interview.

“There are lots of serious questions around the erosion of player agency and the long-term impact of players being forced to prioritize short-term performance over long-term well-being.”

Rodri, who sustained a knee ligament injury during City’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal on Sunday, stated that the ideal number of games a player can compete at peak performance each season is between 40 and 50.

This season some players could play as many as 80 with the expanded Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup formats, alongside enlarged national team competitions.

The United States will host the first edition of FIFA’s new 32-team Club World Cup from June 15 until July 13 next year.

“Nobody wants to play in it, nobody is excited about it,” former England international Carragher told CBS recently.

“The best players in the world are being treated like cattle,” he added.

Global players’ union FIFPRO last year warned of the dangers to young talents, comparing the workload of current big names such as Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe to former high-profile players.

By the age of 18, Mbappé had already participated in more than twice the number of competitive matches that Henry had played. By the age of 19, Bellingham faced a significantly heavier workload compared to England legends Wayne Rooney and David Beckham at the same age.

Mbappe suffered a muscle injury this week, his club Real Madrid said on Wednesday, that has cast doubt on his participation in the weekend derby against Atletico Madrid.

His teammate Bellingham recently returned to action after missing a month with a muscle injury.

Long-term concern

As the football world applauds teenage talent Lamine Yamal, O’Sullivan emphasized the need for greater concern regarding his long-term well-being. The 17-year-old participated in 50 matches across all competitions for Barcelona last season and also contributed to Spain’s victory in Euro 2024.

“He’s a kid, and he’s played 60 games; his body is still growing; it takes energy for your body to grow, it takes energy to play sport, and you’re burning a candle at both ends,” O’Sullivan said.

Games lost to long-term injuries to young players such as Pedri, Ansu Fati and Gavi at the Catalan club are a cautionary tale, he added.

“And if we just keep going, ‘We have a better recovery. We have innovations in recovery,’ all you’re doing is putting a plaster on a tumor,” O’Sullivan said.

Former France striker Henry said player fatigue was obvious at Euro 2024

“I don’t want to see (Harry) Kane tired at a Euro, I don’t want to see (Jude) Bellingham tired at a Euro. I don’t want to see Rodri losing balls that he never loses normally,” Henry said.

Mental recovery amid a grueling schedule is as taxing as the physical demands, he added, saying: “I see players sometimes playing without joy anymore of the game.”