Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has expressed his fears over a congested fixture schedule for football and called on the Professional Footballers’ Association to take action. He questioned, in particular, the increase in matches because of the expanded format of the Champions League and the soon-to-be-introduced Club World Cup, which would only raise the risk of injury for players. Raya pointed out that players “are not robots” and believed that the PFA could lead to negotiations over the issue, though he admitted that change would take time.
This is happening at a time when other players, including Manchester City’s Rodri earlier in the season, have been speaking out against fixture congestion, threatening player strikes unless conditions improve
Arsenal’s goalkeeper, David Raya, has spoken out about the stressful football calendar and called on the Professional Footballers’ Association to do something regarding it.
Impacts on Arsenal
Concerns among players and clubs over injury risks, driven by the expanded Champions League format and additional international fixtures, as well as more domestic matches, have led to this outburst by Raya, who complained that due to such a calendar, “we are not robots,” pointing out how injuries can quickly end a career.
Raya concurs with Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who before had threatened to strike if the issue persisted. The approaching Club World Cup has compounded the worry for their locked-out stars, who run all-year competitions without resting adequately. Arsenal, on the other hand, do not attend the Club World Cup but have an overlapping domestic and European schedule. Raya called for PFA to spearhead negotiation towards reforms, stating that it will not be possible to solve the issue right away.
It reflects a larger trend, as football organizations face criticism for putting profitable ventures ahead of care for athletes. Players and their fans start questioning whether the current practices are sustainable and ask governance bodies to readjust their priorities.
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