🤯 Valverde sets record: 74 games, overtakes Pedri but alarm bells 🚨 | OneFootball

The new format of the 2024-25 Champions League has effectively revolutionized the European football calendar, significantly increasing the number of games: from 125 to 189. More minutes, more money earned.

But while the coffers of the most successful clubs are smiling, on the other hand, players have had to deal with physical problems that have conditioned the endless season that is about to conclude.

Those who, on the other hand, have been able to count on formidable physical condition have beaten extraordinary attendance records. But beware of pulling the rope too tight. Because footballers are not machines and the recent past has already shown us the effects of such devastating seasons on the athletes' bodies.

😳 Senseless numbers for Valverde

A glaring example is Federico Valverde, the "marathon runner" of Real Madrid, who has totaled 6,674 minutes played between club and national team (including extra time), equivalent to 74 90-minute games in less than 11 months. A figure that perfectly reflects the trend of Real Madrid, the first team for games played in the 2024/25 season (68 total).

The figure is impressive and puts him at the top of the ranking of the most used players globally, ahead of Bruno Fernandes, the tireless leader of Manchester United. The Portuguese is now a constant presence in these seasonal rankings.

Already in the 2020/21 season, he had distinguished himself, surpassed only by a very young Pedri, who that year collected 73 games and 5,273 minutes in eight competitions. However, the Barcelona midfielder is a warning: the following year he was forced to miss 39 games due to muscle injuries, particularly to the thigh. A clear sign of the dangers of prolonged overload, especially at a young age.

🚨 FIFPRO sounds the alarm

In the case of Valverde, the concern is more than legitimate. Players like him, who combine intensity, versatility, and extraordinary resistance, become indispensable for their coaches, but risk paying a high price in the medium to long term.

FIFPRO, the global footballers' union, has repeatedly sounded the alarm on the overcrowded calendar, proposing measures such as mandatory breaks, more structured rotations, and annual minute limits to reduce the risk of serious injuries and shortened careers.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

📸 JUAN MABROMATA - AFP or licensors