A week ago, before the match against Inter, Rodri spoke of a possible players’ strike because there is too much playing. “Breaking point? Yes, and I think we’re close to it. I think all the players have the same idea, ask whoever you want. There will come a time… but I don’t know what will happen. It’s something that worries us. I can only talk about Spain and City. But it’s something that worries us. Obviously, the situation is not the same for everyone, because not everyone gets to play 60-70 games a season, but the idea is shared.”
Almost paradoxically, a week later the potential Ballon d’Or winner injured his anterior cruciate ligament. Diagnosis: at least six months out, after a season of 63 games between Manchester City and Spain. The speed of the game and the many games lead to an exaggerated increase in cruciate ligament ruptures, so much so that many players end up out more and more often for this reason. “How many games? I can’t say an exact number, certainly not 70. I think a player can give his best between 40 and 50, after which the average level of performance drops. In my opinion the number of games we will play this season is too high, I think not everything should depend on money or marketing. When I rest I play better, and I think people want to see better quality football”.
Rodri’s injury is a very heavy blow both for City, who would like to try again to be champion of Europe, and for Spain, even though there are no final competitions this summer. He will return for the FIFA Club World Cup, with many regrets for a season, in fact, completely skipped.