Manchester City midfielder Rodri has warned leading footballers could go on strike if clubs continue to face an ever-expanding schedule.
City, the 2023 Champions League winners, face Italian giants Inter Milan at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, in their first match of the competition's new league phase.
The expanded 36-team tournament, in which all clubs play eight league fixtures, is a far cry from the original European Cup which only featured reigning national champions.
City will also compete in an expanded Club World Cup at the end of the season.
"Yes, I think we are close to that," said Rodri when asked on Tuesday if there was a possibility of players going on strike.
"If it keeps this way we will have no other option. It is something that worries us."
City manager Pep Guardiola was more reserved, however, saying: "We are in our first game, then the second and we will see what happens in the last games to go through.
"It is not necessary to look now. It's in the future. We will see."
Spain star Rodri's comments echoed those of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, who said players were being ignored by football chiefs when it came to the issue of fixture congestion.
Liverpool are away to AC Milan on Tuesday in their opening fixture.
"Sometimes nobody asks the players what they think about adding more games," Alisson told reporters on Monday.
"Maybe our opinion doesn't matter, but everybody knows what we think about having more games. Everybody's tired of that."
AFP