The president of the Spanish league said a players' strike would be welcomed if it helped kill FIFA's Club World Cup.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri became the latest player to speak out about his increasing workload on Tuesday, saying a players' strike was “close” if nothing changes. Players will play at least two more games in the Champions League this season and for 12 European clubs the season will end with FIFA's new 32-team Club World Cup in the United States. Players' unions and domestic leagues have sued FIFA for a lack of consultation over the tournament schedule and match dates in general.
La Liga president Javier Tebas said Rodri was right to mention the possibility of a strike and would support it if it did not target the domestic league and was aimed at forcing a restructuring of the schedule.
Tebas argued it was not just a matter of workload, but the expansion of international club competitions which was having sporting and financial impacts on domestic leagues and the players who play in them.
“I think Rodri is right about the possibility of a strike,” Tebas told Spanish media in Seville. “I think there are games backlogged and that issue involves 200 players, but I am saying it for the remaining 40,000 professionals and 2,000 clubs.”
“If this strike helps to solve the calendar issue, not by removing clubs from domestic leagues, but by eliminating the Club World Cup and helping to rearrange the schedule better, then it is something to be welcomed because something has to happen.”
“We will take appropriate legal action, but if the Players Union does go on strike for the reasons we've already discussed, this is not just about saturation of the game with 70, 80, 100 players, this is a much bigger issue and it affects the entire industry.”
“Players who don't play in European competitions would have less income if they followed these standards and their clubs would disappear. We are working on it and of course we will support them.”
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FIFA insists the calendar is the result of “exhaustive and comprehensive” consultations, including with world players' federation Fifpro and league bodies. The Club World Cup has the backing of European clubs thanks to a memorandum of understanding agreed between FIFA and the European Club Association.
