Manuel Akanji Could Retire At Age 30, Complains Of Congested Fixtures
The defender for Manchester City, Manuel Akanji, has made light of the fact that his demanding schedule may force him to retire at thirty.
Akanji, 29, joined City two years ago this month and has already played 127 games for club and country.
The Switzerland center back, who played his final game of the previous season on July 6 when England eliminated his country from the European Championship.
He has made seven appearances this season, including two in the Nations League and the Community Shield.
Akanji will play for City when they take on Inter Milan in a rematch of the 2023 championship on Wednesday to begin their extended Champions League season.
It’s one of eight first-round matches—City will play Sporting Lisbon, Juventus, and Paris St-Germain, among others—that might lead to a play-off before the round of sixteen even starts.
In addition, City will take part in the 32-Team Club World Cup in the United States, which concludes on July 13—just four weeks before the 2025–26 Premier League season, which will be preceded by the World Cup—starting on July 13.
“It’s really hard,” Akanji remarked. “You consider not only this season but also the one after it.
“Assuming we win the league or cup, we advance to the Club World Cup final and play the Community Shield three weeks later. When are our holidays, then?” He questioned the journalist.
“In winter, there are no breaks; if we’re lucky, we get two weeks, after which we have to return and start the next season”
The World Cup is held the following summer. It has no conclusion. The Professional Footballers’ Association, who are preparing to sue FIFA, the world governing body, over an alleged failure to bargain over the Club World Cup, will take issue with Akanji’s remarks.
The Premier League has joined the lawsuit as well, despite FIFA’s stated desire in private to lower all of Europe’s main domestic leagues to a uniform 18 teams.
“I don’t know how it will work out over the next couple of years; it’s just game after game,” Akanji said.
“You can’t just stack games on top of games and expect things to stay the same. You also need to consider the players.
You’ll eventually become too exhausted to play any more games. And then, undoubtedly, there are injuries. We exercise vigorously and maintain our fitness, but there must be a limit. I might retire at thirty.”
References and Citation
thisdaylive.ng – Manuel Akanji Jokes He ‘May Retire at 30′ Due to Workload
yardbarker.com – Man City’s Genius Could Retire At 30
besoccer.com – Man City defender Akanji jokes about ‘retiring at 30’ due to congested schedule
goal.com – Manuel Akanji suggests he could RETIRE at end of the season as Man City star hits out at ‘so tough’ football calendar ahead of Champions League kick-off
