Liverpool's Ibrahim Konate ready to support player strike over hectic schedule

Liverpool defender Ibrahim Konate has become the latest player to support a strike over the hectic football schedule. The ongoing season has seen an increase in games due to the remodelled European competitions and international matches.

In Short

• Konate said that the players will be together if there is a strike
• Konate felt that the hectic schedule is a subject that shouldn't be neglected
• The hectic schedule has already seen Rodri and Carvajal suffer long-term injuries

France and Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté has joined the growing chorus of footballers voicing concerns over the increasingly congested fixture schedule, stating on Tuesday that he supports players’ right to strike over the issue. His comments follow similar warnings from other top players and managers who have been critical of the relentless football calendar.

Last month, Manchester City's Rodri hinted that footballers could stage a strike if scheduling demands were not reduced. Shortly after his remarks, Rodri sustained a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury, further intensifying discussions about player welfare and the risks posed by such a gruelling schedule. Speaking to the reporters, as quoted by Reuters, the Liverpool defender said that the players will be together if there is a strike.

"If this dynamic continues and the players decide to bang their fists on the table then we're all in this together," Konate, 25, told reporters when asked about whether he supported a strike.

"If tomorrow there's a movement that will lead to understanding, I'll be part of it. And I think all the players will follow suit."

This season, all three major European club competitions have been expanded to include 36 teams, exacerbating the situation. In July, global soccer players' union FIFPRO announced it would lodge a complaint with EU antitrust regulators, challenging FIFA's international match calendar.

England leads European leagues in terms of back-to-back fixtures, recording 87 last season, with Premier League teams averaging just 67.3 hours of recovery time between matches—one of the shortest in Europe.

Konate felt that the hectic schedule is a subject that shouldn't be neglected as there is often news of clubs not wanting players to report to national duty as there is a fear of injury.

"It's a subject that shouldn't be neglected," Konate added. "You hear some clubs prefer their players to (not report for international duty) but you have to understand that too, there are so many games.

"The players are on the club's payroll, even if the national teams are just as important."

Once the current international break comes to an end, Konate and Liverpool will be in action in 7 games across 3 competitions with tough matches against Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa lined up in the Premier League and Champions League games against Leipzig and Leverkusen.