Fixture congestion debate: Could Premier League players really go on strike?

Managers bemoaning fixture congestion and player workloads has been a recurring theme in English football for some time now.

However, an increasing number of players are becoming frustrated and anxious about the number of games they are required to play.

With the increasing number of international and European fixtures, as well as the controversial expansion of next year’s Club World Cup to 32 teams, more players have spoken out.

Earlier this week, before of their Champions League start, Aston Villa captain John McGinn stated that certain aspects of the schedule

were becoming ‘a little out of hand’.

He also stated that the rigorous schedule was putting the athletes’ mental health at jeopardy.

A recent study on the amount of games played by footballers discovered that the’red line’ for player wellbeing was between 50 and 60

matches per campaign, depending on a player’s age group.

The comments made by players this week, particularly regarding strike action, have raised the issue of whether anything could happen.

Ross Meadows of law firm Oury Clark told the BBC that a strike would be a last choice, and organizations would have to overcome

significant legal hurdles before a lawful walkout could take place.

The Professional Footballers’ Association will play an important role in any action taken by players.

Chief executive Maheta Molango has spoken out on the issue, stating that the association believes domestic tournaments should be given

priority.

The former striker, who has played for Brighton, Lincoln City, Wrexham, and Grays Athletic, also insisted that if additional action is

required, the association will take it.

He went on to say, “We need to clarify what this may look like.

“We want to prioritize our domestic competitions.” Our players rely on this for their livelihood.

“The difficulty is that there is increasing worldwide competition, particularly among national teams. Or this new format of the Club World

Cup, which takes place in the summer, so I don’t believe the emphasis is solely on domestic events.

“If the players feel that we need to take further action – then I think we will.”

“The issue is that there is increased worldwide competition, particularly among national teams. Or this new format of the Club World Cup,

which takes place in the summer, so I don’t believe the emphasis is solely on domestic events.

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