Hectic Schedule? Rothen Suggests Tchouaméni Should Lower His Salary If He Wants to Play Less

During the “Rothen s’enflamme sur RMC” show, Jérôme Rothen responded to comments made by Aurélien Tchouaméni during a press conference.

The Real Madrid midfielder, who is currently with the French national team, had expressed concerns about the constantly increasing number of matches, which he believed could endanger players’ health. Rothen didn’t quite understand these concerns, mainly regretting that they were being voiced off the field.

“You want to play fewer matches? Well, then you’ll earn less money,” Jérôme Rothen remarked on RMC Sport. “And that’s going to be a problem for some. It’s good to remember that some players play matches continuously, in the national team, in European competitions… but it’s also good to recall the football of yesteryears, in which I played. Twenty years ago, if I had been an undisputed starter like Antoine Griezmann in the national team, I would have played more matches than him. The relentless pace has been ongoing for years, and we tasted it without ever complaining.”

According to Rothen, the current issue is not the fixture list but the players’ excessive off-field activities. “But today, considering that players are scattered all over the place… fatigue isn’t just about matches. Usually, I defend the players. But this time, I’ll criticize Aurélien Tchouaméni. If you simply devote yourself to your job, you’re paid for it, to be good on the field, to prepare yourself…”

“These guys are becoming too comfortable: when you’re an undisputed starter, there are ‘peanut’ matches you don’t want to play. The accumulation of matches is the same as 20-30 years ago. Matches still last 90 minutes. The fatigue he’s talking about is more off the field and away from matches. The invisible recovery that we used to do is essential,” emphasized the consultant.

“Today they spend their lives on social media, doing commercials. Taking a private jet to watch an MMA fight or shooting a commercial in Turkey… in those cases, guys, take lower pay for that and focus on football, just on your profession.”