FIFPro, the body that represents players' unions from around the world, gathered people in Paris for the release of a study on player workload a few days before the final of the European Championship. At the highest level, top players are often exhausted. According to sports scientists and high performance coaches cited in the study, 72 players appeared in at least 55 games in 2020. The "critical zone" is defined as playing back-to-back matches with less than five days off between them, when injuries are more likely to occur. Luka Modric played in 24 back-to-back games in the critical zone in the year 2020. FIFPro tried to find solutions. In order to cut down on travel, a guy like Mikel Oyarzabal only got eight days to rest in the summer. High performance coaches say there shouldn't be more than four to six games in a season and preseason camps should be longer to recover and build endurance. It's valid for players at the highest level. He is correct. For all the medical and sports science advances, most ex-pros are still injured in retirement. Mental health is also part of it. It takes its toll when you have a family and are constantly playing. There is a lack of incentive to change in the narrative. The players who earn the most money are those who play more than 55 games a season. Public opinion doesn't offer much sympathy when you're a millionaire. Fans and critics tend to say "suck it up and count your money" - Semi-automated offside on track for World Cup
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The vast majority of professionals who don't play very much would probably happily play more.
Wolves finished in the middle of the pack in the premier league. They had seven players who played in 40 or more games for club and country, and 18 players who played in less than that. Similar proportions can be found on midtable sides across Europe's big league. Push it out to the lower leagues or smaller leagues across the continent and the numbers of professionals swell.
The majority of football players don't have that problem, even if there is solidarity for the likes of Kevin De Bruyne. Reducing the number of matches or the number of clubs in the top flight is the simplest solution to this problem.
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The easiest way to increase revenue is simply to play more games. It's not particularly inventive, but it's a formula that works in many sports as well. If you fill the empty stadium, you'll probably make more money because the variable cost of opening your stadium is relatively low. Economics 101 is easy to comprehend. Smaller clubs are opposed to reducing the size of the league because they will miss out on money.
Performance coaches and sport scientists were the ones who voiced the issue in the survey. If you play too many games, you will have tired players if you're unlucky and injured players if you play too many games. A worse product will be on the pitch.
I'm aware of the argument. This past season, take the Reds. They played a lot of games because they reached the final in every competition they entered. Their performances down the stretch were not like those earlier in the season. The players were tired and not as sharp as they could have been. Some games were bad as fatigued teams made mistakes they wouldn't normally make, but still managed to win. It was the same over every Boxing Day and New Year's Day period.
Guess what? Fans may also note this, but do they care? I think they don't. In the same way you might enjoy seeing two boxers who can barely stand by Round 12 find the energy to keep going, many enjoy the spectacle.
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I don't know if supporters have stopped caring or if it has always been this way. Chances are he'll still get the job done, even though he's not as sharp or as quick as he used to be, and even though he's not as fit as he used to be. Many just want to see their goals The ball goes into the net when legs are heavy and minds are clouded. The two perfectly fit teams going at it at a high pace doesn't make for a more entertaining game. Sometimes it's just a sign that they're canceling each other out.
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The idea that the spectacle won't be as good with tired players doesn't hold water. The more tired the players are, the more mistakes they make and the less likely we are to see goals. Goals are exciting even when it's a tap-in after Maguire, playing his 63rd game of the season and his 14th back-to-back, loses the ball to the opposition press.
Is there a solution? I can't see a way to impose mandatory rests for pilots or truck drivers. You have to do it in a way that doesn't hurt the club's finances. Maybe it means limiting the number of back-to-back games a player can play in a season. You don't have to cut down on the number of games if you work on the individual instead of the team. Fans will accept the fact that you don't know if you're getting a player or not. It might be possible. Only if teams are smart about resting their best players.
We don't know how to get there. Who makes sure it's done? The players have to step up. We're all going to keep a public record and we're all going to refuse to play if De Bruyne gets together with the other guys and says "Alright, we're going to do this, we're all going to keep a public record and we're all going No club will feel unfairly punished if they all agree to do it in a transparent way.
It won't be popular. 45 games may be too much for some and 65 may be a breeze for others. There will be a fight over who has to deal with the rest. It's a lot to ask of these superstars. There isn't anyone else who can bat for them but themselves.
The priorities of most of their colleagues are what the economic realities are. Are you going to wait for the governing bodies to take action? You could have waited for Godot. He doesn't show up.
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