Bernardo Silva has voiced his concerns over football's ever-growing schedule, citing the absurd fixture pile-up as a major issue.

The Manchester City player spoke about the effect of the heavy workload on his personal life, stating that he spends very little time with his family and friends.

What happened?

Manchester City were given a tight fixture schedule, with their third-round Carabao Cup tie against Watford just 49 hours after their Premier League fixture against Arsenal.

This situation has raised concerns among players, with Kevin De Bruyne also speaking out about the issue.

Why it matters for Bernardo Silva

Bernardo Silva explained that the schedule is "completely crazy" and that players are subjected to an absurd amount of games, with little rest time in between.

He stated that the squads may be bigger, but it's not easy, and he spends very little time with his family and friends.

The player's comments come as FIFA and UEFA continue to expand their competitions, adding more fixtures to the already packed schedule.

What comes next?

The expanded FIFA Club World Cup is set to commence at the end of the 2024/25 season, which will add even more fixtures to the schedule.

As Kevin De Bruyne pointed out, this will have a flow-on effect at the beginning of the 2025/26 season, with players potentially having only 3-4 weeks off at the end of the season.

Bernardo Silva's comments highlight the human side of the issue, with players not just being athletes, but also fathers, partners, and human beings.

The issue of the growing schedule is not just about the players, but also about the fans, who are expected to keep up with the increasing number of fixtures.

The Professional Footballers' Association in England and other player associations have tried to find solutions, but so far, none have been found.

The problem is that UEFA and FIFA keep adding extra matches, and the players' voices are not being heard.

As the schedule continues to grow, it's likely that we'll see more players speaking out about the issue, and potentially, some changes being made to address the concerns.

But for now, players like Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne will have to continue to navigate the absurd fixture pile-ups and lack of rest time.

The situation is not sustainable, and something needs to be done to address the issue before it's too late.