After another gruelling season of club football across Europe, not to mention two seasons of Covid club fixture pileups, players now can look forward to even more games in the way of international fixtures. World Cup playoffs aside, International friendlies and Nations League (what on earth even is this) fixtures are all set to kick off over the next two weeks and at some point you have to ask: when is enough, enough?
The demands of professional football are extremely taxing on players anyway, but with more and more games being scheduled when will there perhaps be an escalation from those who take to the field? Already in the last year a few players have spoken out about the ridiculous demands they are being placed under, with the usual suspects like UEFA/FIFA prioritizing cash over quality. A recent survey which I will link below revealed that players already feel there should be a limit on back to back games. But is that enough?
As recently as the last few years, new tournaments have been created by UEFA not only in club but international competition too and it wouldn't surprise anybody if more were soon conceived. The Europa Conference, The UEFA Nations League all seem totally irrelevant but no doubt pull in big sponsorship money and are justified by giving players 'the opportunity to win a trophy'. That would mean something if there were some prestige behind it, but in all reality they just seem to be games played for the sake of money.
Arsene Wenger suggested a World Cup and Euros every two years which for me was a non-starter, but his reasons behind it did make a lot of sense. Wenger spoke of having games that really do mean something, as well as referencing how players need rest and holidays in between seasons- not more games. As much as I do NOT want a World Cup or European Championship tournament every two years, his points are valid and something should surely be done before players suffer real burnout with potentially serious consequences.
FIFA also are guilty of what UEFA do and that is proven by their mid-season World Cup over in Qatar. Am I the only one who thinks this won't even feel like a proper World Cup? World Cup tournaments to me are all about beer gardens and hot summer days spent supporting your team. The thought of wearing a parka whilst standing in Castlefield Bowl to cheer on England whilst wearing my gloves and beanie hat really doesn't appeal to me; I wonder if they'll have hot chocolate as well as beer? I also feel the ramifications of such a gruelling tournament will heavily impact the quality of all European leagues in the second half of next season.
When will something be done??
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61576110
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/56418718
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58870597
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Esc-QKITW5k
Player Welfare: Greed Factor?
posted on 30/5/22
comment by gratedbean (U4885)
posted 2 hours, 33 minutes ago
Bit of a strange article about the World Cup and player welfare Culer. As a business magnate and venture capitalist, did you not have to crack a few eggs when you were building your empire?
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I didn't order my employees to all work 6 or 7 days a week though.
posted on 30/5/22
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 2 hours, 24 minutes ago
Put clauses in players contracts. If you want to play less games get paid less. It’s simple. I have no real sympathy for players who earn so much and have arguably one of the best jobs in the world. They work less days a year then the average person and have the best medical teams alongside.
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I think the potential burnout and overuse of players could result in another Eriksen type incident. Continuously playing games can only put players at increased risk of sudden respiratory issues. Eriksen passed all his medical checks until Euro 2021...
posted on 30/5/22
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 2 hours, 25 minutes ago
comment by Culèr: Back Soon (U9489)
posted 2 hours, 3 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - the smartest person you know - Arsenal shat it on 16/01/22 - Todger (U18109)
posted 7 minutes ago
The clubs are some of the biggest offenders here, scheduling pre season tours to far flung places chasing money.
A top 6 player can be rested, others won’t go deep in many comps so play less anyway.
I think if pre season tours were done away with then FIFA/UEFA might have a case to answer
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Clubs have been doing that since the 1980's though. The burnout factor for me has become a lot more prevalent in the last 5 or so years.
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What are you using to gauge that? Players are playing longer careers now then ever.
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There were less games back then and pointless competitions. Even the UCL was less games for example.
posted on 30/5/22
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 34 minutes ago
Players in the 60s and 70s were playing every game, some in 60+ seasons. With worse lifestyles and training. Squads were 13 players!!
The difference now is the medical side. Players definitely are not more burnt out now, they are just told they are. There was no "red zone" back in the old days. Players in the old days would keep on playing until they physically couldn't. And then they suffered greatly for it.
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Nah you've got this wrong. The game was less demanding then, less running involved and poor standards compared to now.
posted on 30/5/22
Awful mud baths for pitches, poor training, poor diets, no travel luxuries either. Most turned up piiiised and smoke 20 a day. They weren't the finally tuned athletes of today. They also played through injuries that would keep today's players sidelined.
It was far more demanding on them.
posted on 30/5/22
comment by Culèr: Back Soon (U9489)
posted 44 minutes ago
comment by gratedbean (U4885)
posted 2 hours, 33 minutes ago
Bit of a strange article about the World Cup and player welfare Culer. As a business magnate and venture capitalist, did you not have to crack a few eggs when you were building your empire?
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I didn't order my employees to all work 6 or 7 days a week though.
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🤣 players do about 30 hours of training for a week don’t they?
If you want to see an example of dangerous workplace burnout I’d look at the NHS
posted on 30/5/22
comment by Culèr: Back Soon (U9489)
posted 2 hours, 8 minutes ago
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 2 hours, 25 minutes ago
comment by Culèr: Back Soon (U9489)
posted 2 hours, 3 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - the smartest person you know - Arsenal shat it on 16/01/22 - Todger (U18109)
posted 7 minutes ago
The clubs are some of the biggest offenders here, scheduling pre season tours to far flung places chasing money.
A top 6 player can be rested, others won’t go deep in many comps so play less anyway.
I think if pre season tours were done away with then FIFA/UEFA might have a case to answer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Clubs have been doing that since the 1980's though. The burnout factor for me has become a lot more prevalent in the last 5 or so years.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What are you using to gauge that? Players are playing longer careers now then ever.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There were less games back then and pointless competitions. Even the UCL was less games for example.
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Exactly, yet careers were shorter. So if players are that burnt out Howcome they have longer careers?
posted on 30/5/22
Not up to your standards culer for hits.
Better say something stupid.
posted on 30/5/22
They get paid well enough to make up for it. Fack em
posted on 31/5/22
I rarely watch soccerball too much these days so I can't offer much
all they do is run and walk around and kick the ball occasionally - they are also young and have cute trainer girls massage their quads anytime they need it - I think they can manage it even though the FIFA WORLD CUP is a joke nowadays