When La Liga rescheduled the FC Barcelona v CA Osasuna match Thursday night, both teams protested a match just two days after the international break and 3 days before the weekend La Liga matches.
With injuries being the main concern from Barca and Osasuna, it became reality when Barca´s Dani Olmo went down with an adductor injury in just the 28th minute. Olmo had played 84 minutes for Spain against Holland just 48 hours prior and Barca´s worst fears came true as now Olmo misses the next 6 matches.
With the original match cancelled just before kickoff 3 weeks ago when Barca´s team doctor Carles Miñarro Garcia tragically passed away before the match, it wasn´t an easy task for La Liga to find the right day to reschedule the game. However just 2 days after an international break? And 3 days before the next round of La Liga matches??
FIFA, UEFA, and La Liga are more concerned with financial game than the match loads being asked of the players. It´s not safe, realistic, and not in the best interest of the players, clubs, or national teams. Players in top teams that also play internationally are playing up to 80 matches per season, and it isn´t sustainable.
Look at Barca´s players who played last summer with their respective national teams and then turned around directly into the La Liga preseason. Pedri, Olmo, Pau Cubarsi, Robert Lewandowski, Fermin Lopez, Eric Garcia, Joules Kounde, Pablo Torre, Marc Casado, Marc Bernal, Ferran Torres, and Lamine Yamal.
Of those, Casado and Bernal are injured and out for the season, Olmo and Cubarsi are currently injured and with 4 games coming in 10 days for FC Barcelona who knows who could be added to the list.
At some point the clubs and players must take a stand. Real Madrid has threatened to forfeit any La Liga match scheduled within 72 hours from their previous game, and while it remains to be seen if they follow through, it´s the kind of stance that other clubs are sure to follow with as injuries continue to mount.
Barca, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid are being asked to manage difficult matches in 3 competitions-La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Champions League-and right in the middle UEFA is creating Nations League matches that serve no other purpose than to make money, completely disregarding the safety of the players, and the economic investment the clubs have made to pay these players.
If FIFA, EUFA, and La Liga want to continue making millions off these players they better start protecting them.