Jules Koundé is on vacation, but he does not let go of the ball. While world football is still running at full speed with the Club World Cup, the defender of FC Barcelona took advantage of a moment of rest to denounce the hellish pace imposed on players once again. “It's so good to be on vacation”he first published on X, before pointing the finger at the extended season of some: “There are teams their season she started in mid-July 2024 … We are on July 4, 2025 and they still play …”
If the tricolor international currently benefits from a well -deserved rest, his club counterparts such as PSG, Chelsea and Real Madrid chain relentless competitions. Parisians, in particular, have undoubtedly chained the end of Ligue 1, the French Cup, the Champions League final before crossing the Atlantic to continue their summer marathon in the Club World Cup.
“No one listens to us”
This accumulation of matches weighs a real threat to the physical and mental health of players. And criticisms are becoming more and more audible. Koundé, already very vocal last September, denounced a cadence that continues to increase: “The calendar is responsible each year, we always have more matches and less and less rest. It's been 3 or 4 years that we say it and no one listens to us. »»
An observation shared by other football figures. Rodri, Spanish Ballon d'Or and Manchester City executive, had mentioned a possible a few months ago “Players' strike” To alert the instances. Shortly after this statement, he had undergone a serious knee injury, moving him away from the field for several months. A disturbing symbol of the overwork that awaits elite players.
While the 2025-2026 season is already on the horizon, calls for a recasting of the professional calendar are multiplying. But for the time being, they remain unanswered.
