F* FIFA, F* UEFA! It’s time for footballers to STRIKE over ACL epidemic

Carlo Garganese

Updated: 13 Nov 2024 12:00 GMT
5 min read

Eder Militao, Rodri, Dani Carvajal — © IMAGO

Juan Cabal is the latest victim of the ACL epidemic.

On Wednesday or Thursday, it should be confirmed that the Juventus left back has suffered a season-ending injury while on international duty with Colombia.

Article continues under the video

He will be the second Juventus defender this season to tear his ACL. Gleison Bremer, arguably the best defender in Serie A, ruptured his ACL during the Champions League match against Leipzig.

Juventus have been terribly affected by ACL injuries in recent years. Italy’s generational talent of the last half-decade, Federico Chiesa, tore his ACL in January 2022.

Six months earlier he had inspired Italy to European Championship glory. He returned from the ACL tear a sorry shadow of himself, so much so that Juventus were desperate to offload him this past summer to Liverpool at a pittance of just €15 million.

Chiesa has been a disaster at Liverpool so far, barely playing due to physical problems. Like many ACL victims, his body is simply broken from his serious injury, just as another generational Italian talent in Nicolo Zaniolo’s is after his two torn ACLs.

Juventus are one of many clubs who have been torn apart by ACL tears.

Real Madrid have become a graveyard for ACL victims over recent seasons.

Since August alone, FOUR Real Madrid players have torn their ACL; Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Joan Martinez and Cesar Palacios.

© IMAGO - Eder Militao suffered an ACL tear on Saturday

Last season Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba suffered torn ACLs, just as Barcelona sensation Gavi did.

The list of top footballers currently recovering from ACL tears is so long that you will stop reading if I were to print all of their names.

But the list also includes Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, Italy’s best young defender Giorgio Scalvini and his Atalanta teammate Gianluca Scamacca, Barcelona wonderkid Marc Bernal, Newcastle star Sven Botman and Argentine goal machine Mauro Icardi.

There have been over 20 torn ACLs in Europe’s top five leagues in England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France in 2024-25 already. By the end of the calendar year, the number of ACL tears in 2024 will almost certainly have surpassed 50 in the big five leagues.

And if you thought there was an ACL epidemic in men’s football, wait until you see how bad things are in the women’s game.

Studies have shown that women's footballers are two to six times more likely than male footballers to sustain ACL injuries.

As of last month, there were 18 players recovering from an ACL injury in the WSL alone.

There are a number of possible factors that have contributed to this ACL epidemic in football, most of which are discussed in detail in the video below.

But the consensus is that the astronomical increase of (high intensity) matches on the UEFA and FIFA calendar, coupled with the massive decrease in rest time and the off-season is the number one cause.

What did Rodri say about going on strike?

Just days before Rodri tore his ACL this season, the Manchester City star suggested that footballers were “close” to striking over the non-stop increase in number of matches.

"I think we are close to that," he said.

"If it keeps this way, it will be a moment that we have no other option, but let's see."

In the five years leading up to his injury, Rodri played a barely believable 310 games between club and country.

That averages out at 62 games per year.

Is it any surprise what happened to Rodri?

© IMAGO - Rodri's season is over due to ACL tear

The human body simply isn’t built to withstand such punishment, regardless of all the medical advancements.

And the number of matches is still increasing further.

The Champions League has two extra Champions League group phase matches this season and an extra knockout round consisting of two games.

The UEFA Nations League has added a quarter-final stage.

The World Cup has expanded from 32 teams to 48.

And then, of course, there is FIFA’s new Club World Cup that will run next year in June and July.

Since before the COVID pandemic, there has been virtually no proper summer or seasonal break afforded to top-level footballers.

In 2020 the season restarted during the summer, in 2021 the Euros were held a year later than planned, in 2022-23 the World Cup was played in the winter requiring an earlier and later domestic campaign, in 2024 there was the Euros and Copa America, in 2025 there is the Club World Cup, and in 2026 there is the expanded World Cup.

In the last two decades, it is estimated that there has been a 29-fold increase in the number of ACL injuries.

And the crazy thing is that this ACL plague will only spread further once already exhausted footballers play these extra games.

Of course, FIFA and UEFA are turning a blind eye to this and pretending there is no crisis here.

FIFA and UEFA don’t care about the welfare of the players.

FIFA and UEFA don’t care that generational talents like Chiesa and Zaniolo - and many others - have their careers destroyed forever.

FIFA and UEFA don’t care about the fans either.

No real football fans enjoyed the football on offer at Euro 2024 from Europe’s big nations, other than from Spain. All the players were so exhausted that most of the matches resembled walking football.