Dreesen on topic of player strikes: "It's not right for top earners to threaten us."

Both Bayern's Joshua Kimmich and Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah have taken special care to emphasize that they "always wish to play" when questioned about the potential for player strikes in the wake of increasingly demanding match commitments for professional footballers. At a European Club Association (ECA) general assembly in Athens, PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi backed the idea of expanding competitions such as the Club World Cup based on - among other things - rising player salaries. 

Al-Khelaifi also serves as the ECA chairman. One of the body's co-chairman, Bayern boss Jan-Christian Dreesen, has also pointed out that current player wages drive the need to generate more revenue via expanded competitions. As quoted by Germany's preeminent footballing publication (Kicker Magazine) Dreesen referenced Kimmich's recent statement as evidence that many players are not bothered by the development. Dreesen too referenced larger rosters and more substitutions as reasons why the workload can be handled. 

“It is not right for those at the very top income level to threaten us with a strike," Dreesen is quoted as saying, "We do have to look after player well-being, but we [Bayern] have played an average of 50 games over the last five years, and before that it was an average of 52 for ten years. So the number of our games has actually decreased." 

The Kicker Magazine article goes on to note - while not directly quoting Dreesen - that the 57-year-old also went on to admit that the German model is certainly kinder to players that the English or Spanish top flight. Bayern footballers have the advantage of playing in an 18 team league that only features one cup competition. Moreover, the Bundesliga's winter break accords players an extra three weeks of rest.