The world of soccer is going through a very difficult time due to the demanding schedule that all the players have to face. For years, both UEFA and FIFA have wanted to increase the number of matches and competitions that are played. In fact, several teams around the world will have to play an extra tournament between June and July, the new Club World Cup.
In this context, there is one Atlético de Madrid player who is being greatly affected, having played 75 games this year. That player is Julián Alvarez, someone who has had very little rest since he went to the Copa América with the Argentina national team. Several stars have already publicly threatened to go on strike if the calendar is not modified.
Julián Álvarez is an Over-Exploited Player
The current situation was something that many had foreseen, as the soccer calendar is becoming increasingly crowded. For years, a decision has been made to play more matches in order to have a better product to sell. This is precisely where the new formats of the Champions League, Club World Cup and World Cup for national teams have been born.
Atlético de Madrid are well aware of this situation, as Julián Alvarez has accumulated many minutes under his belt this season. Along with Declan Rice, he is the player who has played the most minutes since the last Copa América with Argentina. Adding up the whole of last season, he has been summoned 83 time, 75 of which he ended up playing.
It should not be forgotten that, since he played his last match with Manchester City, he has had a leading role in the Copa America, the Olympic Games, Atlético de Madrid and the international break. Therefore, it is not surprising that the great stars of world soccer are beginning to threaten to go on strike if their rest is not respected. The last of them was Rodri Hernández , who took advantage of the press conference prior to the match against Inter Milan to address this problem.
A Strike is Coming
In this context, if we take into account the big teams , it is easy for many footballers to end each campaign with more than 60 games played. Even Jan Oblak is on this list, as he was present in 70 matches during last season combining club and national team matches. Another striking fact has to do with Spanish players, as Pedri has played 169 games before turning 21.
It is a more than shocking fact, since Sergio Busquets had only played 48 and Rodri Hernández 79. In the specific case of Atlético de Madrid, the season began last August and will end in mid-July with the Club World Cup. This situation was already known by Simeone , who explained that a larger squad than usual would be necessary to face so many matches.