Chelsea coach comments on schedule extension and players’ strike

Chelsea’s Italian head coach Enzo Maresca shouts instructions to the players from the sidelines during the friendly match between Chelsea and Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge stadium in London on August 11, 2024. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca criticised the busy schedule footballers are subjected to, saying there is “no doubt” they are playing too much and making their voices heard is a good place to start.

More competitions lead to an increase in the number of games, a topic that several players and coaches have addressed in recent weeks.

The new, expanded format of the Champions League will see two additional matches in the redesigned group stage before the knockout rounds, and the brand new Club World Cup, to be played between June and July 2025 at the end of an already busy season, will feature no fewer than 32 teams.

“We are not protecting the players”: Maresca’s stance on full schedule and potential strike

“Yes, undoubtedly [they are playing too many games]”, Maresca said at a press conference on Friday, as quoted by Football London.

“In terms of gameplay, this is too much. We are not protecting the players. The only ones who can do something are the players. We can help them.”

“I think in the last two weeks some players have explained what they think and I think that’s a good starting point.”

Chelsea’s Italian manager continued to explain his concerns about a fixture list that leaves players little chance to recover, which is closely linked to his decision to leave out several prominent players from the Blues’ squad list for the Europa Conference League.

“The reason why Cole [Palmer]We s [Fofana] and Romeo [Lavia] are not in the Conference League squad to protect them a little bit. For Cole it’s a mix because last year was an intense season for him. We’re trying to protect him.”

Manchester City’s Rodri was perhaps the most vocal in his support of the issue, admitting that players were “on the verge” of going on strike and had “no choice” if things did not change.

When asked to comment on such a scenario, Maresca simply added: “The only thing I can say is that there are too many games.”

Maresca’s compatriot Carlo Ancelotti said in August he would consider granting his Real Madrid players individual holidays during the season to cope with the busy fixture schedule.