Pep Guardiola says players could go on strike to force the various authorities to listen to their concerns over the relentless fixture list.
Guardiola has been a vocal advocate of reducing the number of games the top sides have to play since becoming Manchester City manager, and one of his main complaints has been the busy Christmas schedule.
This year, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and captain Jordan Henderson have led calls for the schedule to give more consideration to player welfare, with the Anfield side facing two games in three days over Christmas before their Boxing Day fixture with Leeds was postponed for Covid cases at the Yorkshire club.
That is one of many called off in recent weeks, and managers are meeting with the Premier League on Thursday afternoon to try and agree on measures that may help players and clubs get through the fixture list safely.
Guardiola said: "Last weekend five or six postponed games, it's a lot. What the Premier League decide, consulting with the managers and people, will be good for us. Nothing to add.
"What we want is people stay safe and well, social distance and masks for everyone. I'm surprised people say be careful but people are completely not following rules in the street. We should take care individually a bit more and pay attention, we want to take care. The new variant is here. Cases are rising. The Premier League is not an exception, what the league decide this afternoon, we support.
"The tradition from Boxing Day in football and the Premier League is massively important, it's a characteristic of the league that is so special, it won't change. I wouldn't change it, it's so important and nice for the families to go to the stadium, I can imagine the 1st of January in London, Arsenal vs Man City at 12.30 how nice it will be in the stadium.
"The problem is the fixtures, the calendar, 365 days a year, the international teams with huge competitions and a lot of games. This is the problem, the players have 2-3 weeks holiday in summer then the season again, it's too much. Now, we know the situation, five or six games postponed for many cases in many teams. It happens one or two years ago. It's the reality. Maybe you have to adapt the situation in the next two weeks.
"Today the managers talk with the Premier League and broadcasters and decide what is the best for everyone. The welfare for the players should be the most important and for the people. This is the only country not accept five substitutions, just three. Why? We want to protect the players, so bring five substitutions. It's much better for the amount of games, but the Premier League and clubs decide no. That's why what they decide, for City and myself, will be okay. No discussions anymore."
Guardiola went on to raise the possibility of a player strike to send a message to the Premier League and other authorities, as he continued his call for clubs to use five substitutions in a game.
He said: "If the players and managers come together and make strike or something... just words won't solve anything. UEFA, FIFA, the Premier League, the broadcasters, the business is more important than the welfare. Simple example is the five substitutions. Tell me one argument to take care to be more welfare for the players than this one. Here we don't do it.
"We have to discuss about that. If they decide, it's not necessary for them to do it. If we talk about the welfare, if it's just for the players, the association of players they say okay we don't play anymore until you solve this. Maybe we need a strike for people to take attention. You have to decide for the broadcasters and Premier League and the rest to take decisions on behalf for the welfare for the players, it's not going to happen.
"No I don't think [it will come to a strike], we want to play, make happy for people over December 26, 27, 29, 31 and play games. We love to do that. I'm not saying a reason to do a strike. But when people say World Cups, European Cups, Carabao Cup semi finals two legs, FA Cups and Premier League more teams more games and less holidays.
"We play the first two to three games of the Premier League without players. Against Tottenham and Leicester I didn't have the squad. I had eight, ten players. It's fair for the competition but not for us. It's not fair. We played Tottenham with a lack of preparation and we lost, okay we might have lost anyway because Spurs away we always lose.
"It's not fair. Why? Because they need holidays. We talk about welfare for players in that moment? No. It's a problem my friend."
