Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal has said players would be open to taking a pay cut if it meant playing fewer games, reducing their workload and avoiding injuries.
Madrid host Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday with eight players absent through injury — Thibaut Courtois, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Éder Militão, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Luka Modric, Vinícius Júnior and Arda Güler — and many pointing to the packed fixture list as a contributory factor.
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“For a top player playing at a top club, the calendar is very demanding,” Carvajal told a news conference on Tuesday. “With the new Club World Cup, we won’t ever get a summer off. I agree with [coach Carlo Ancelotti] and other people who’ve said there are too many games. So many injuries isn’t a coincidence.
“The players are the ones who play, and it’s hard to reach an agreement between everyone. It’s complicated. But what’s a reality is there are lots of injuries, and I think a lot of them are due to the calendar.”
Spain international Carvajal has himself suffered frequent injuries in recent years but has found career-best form this season, making 12 starts in LaLiga and three Champions League appearances.
“A lot of people say ‘why don’t [players] cut their salaries?'” Carvajal added. “We haven’t said we wouldn’t. If we had to earn less and play fewer games, it wouldn’t be a problem. You don’t see players at their best, and the games are dropping in quality, that’s the reality.”
