Real Madrid, grappling with a significant injury crisis affecting eight key players, prompts veteran Dani Carvajal to foresee extreme measures from players to tackle the mounting issue of fixture congestion.
Carvajal, a Real Madrid defender, echoes the growing worries within professional football circles regarding player welfare and the strenuous fixture schedules prevalent in Europe’s elite leagues.
Ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash against Napoli, Carvajal expressed concern over the state of affairs in top leagues, attributing the escalating injuries to the exhaustive and overwhelming schedules players endure.
The five-time Champions League winner highlighted, “It’s very demanding. With the new Club World Cup, summers won’t be free. There are many injuries, and it’s not a positive situation.”
In addressing potential solutions, Carvajal indicated players might be open to reducing their substantial salaries to alleviate the congested fixture calendar, allowing for more recovery time between club and international fixtures.
While acknowledging that not all players would support this proposal, Carvajal believed that a majority would consider such measures. He remarked, “It’s a complex issue. Many players disagree with the number of games… often insignificant ones. They suggest reducing games, saying, ‘Well, if they want fewer games, they should accept lower salaries.’ We haven’t rejected that. You can’t overburden players; it diminishes game quality. If reducing salaries by a percentage is needed, we’ll do it.”
Despite ongoing injury challenges, Real Madrid has risen to the top of La Liga and aims to solidify their standing atop their Champions League group by securing a victory against Napoli.