The best clubs have to play practically every three days – in the league, domestic cup and European cups. This can also include national super cups, which are increasingly held, for example, in Saudi Arabia and in the Final Four format. The summer's big tournaments start less than a month after the season ends. The best players can forget about catching their breath during the season, when they still have international training camps.
The Barcelona star warns against burnout among players
There was a lot of talk in England about reloading the calendar, and there were appeals to… UEFA and FIFA for changes, but activists usually do not listen to critical and alarming words from the football community. They mainly look at the huge profits that football can bring. In Spain, voices are also beginning to be heard that there are simply too many of these meetings.
So far, there have been arguments that players are overtired and do not have time to rest or regenerate properly. Three days between one match and the next is not enough for them. The lack of regeneration also translates into a decrease in the body's endurance and resistance injuries muscle or joint injuries. More and more often we see football players having torn knee ligaments.
FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong also drew attention to the issue of players' mental fatigue. He thinks the number is too high matches during the season, there may be a risk of burnout. He noticed the first symptoms of burnout in himself.
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– Football at the highest level it is not unhealthy in itself, but too many games make it. I think it would be better if we played less football. Not only because of the physical strain, but also because playing too often lowers our level. You don't really have time to train. I also see that my joy in football is disappearing. When I was young, I spent days looking forward to the game. Now all you have to do is turn on the TV and they show the match everywhere – commented the Dutchman in an interview with “Voetbal International”.
According to the Blaugrana midfielder, more breaks should be introduced in the football calendar. This will translate into better quality of individual meetings.
– It's not even about the money. You have to look at the quality of football, and as we play more and more matches, the level decreases, he noted.