1: The report of the new International Professional Football Players Association points out that players' health and performance continue to face threats
2: Most FIFA clubs' World Cup teams failed to obtain sufficient rest and preparation time before the start of the new season
3: The continuous schedule cycle of lack of minimum guarantees is affecting the health and competitive performance of elite players
4: The world's top young players still face the risk of excessive competition during critical growth
According to the annual "International Professional Football Players Federation Players' Workload Monitoring Report" jointly released with the International Football Benchmark Agency, many players who participated in the FIFA Club World Cup after participating in the domestic league are part of hundreds of top male football players who lack sufficient offseason or pre-season preparation periods, which increases the risk of players' health and competitive status.
International Federation of Professional Football Players Board Member Molita Morango said: "This report provides you with factual evidence of the current situation in football. Players are either injured or unable to perform at their best because they have been pushed to the limit. "
Club World Cup schedule highlights the crisis of elite events calendar
FIFA Club World Cup champion Chelsea and runner-up Paris Saint-Germain are most severely affected by the schedule squeeze: After the holiday was shortened to just three weeks, Chelsea players have only 13 days of pre-season preparation, while Paris Saint-Germain players have only 7 days.
These findings highlight the urgent need to implement common sense player safeguards, such as the recent recommendations in the "Consensus on Minimum Security for Players' Workload" - high-performance experts in this study agreed that players should receive a 28-day offseason and an additional 28-day pre-season preparation period.
This 2024/25 season report entitled "Overwork and Inadequate Protection: Impact on Players' Health and Performance" uses data from 1,500 male football players tracked on the International Federation of Professional Football Players' Player Workload Monitoring Platform, and references the recommendations put forward by 70 medical and performance experts serving clubs and national teams as a benchmark. The report also examines the recovery time of other sports and lists extreme high temperatures as an increasingly important factor affecting competitive performance, health and event planning for the first time.
International players urgently need more rest, many top players also face the dilemma of insufficient rest and recovery: in the sample, only 14% of players who participated in the 2024 European Football Championship received the recommended 28-day offseason break before the start of last season; for players who played in the five major European leagues and participated in the Copa America, this proportion dropped to only 9%. Pre-season preparations after the match are also inadequate: only 15% of European Cup players have received sufficient pre-season preparations after the match, while that percentage is as low as 4% of American Cup players.
Dr Darren Burgess, president of the High Performance Consulting Network of the International Federation of Professional Football Players, pointed out that football should follow other sports to protect offseasons to protect players from injuries and excessive fatigue. He said that players in the NBA and the Australian Football League (AFL) have 14 weeks of vacation, while players in the MBA (MLB) have 15 weeks of vacation.
"If the offseason is insufficient, the body and mind will not have enough time to recover," Dr. Burgess noted. "In addition, if the pre-season preparation period does not meet the minimum standard of at least 28 days, players will not be able to prepare for the upcoming season. This will lead to injury at the worst, and it is best to be a decline in competitive form. In other sports, the performance and health of athletes are preferred, and adequate offseasons are an important part of it. "
Intensive schedules and long-distance travel bring health risks
Although many players in the football system lack the chance of playing, top players are often overloaded: scientific research shows that when players continue to face the pace of two games per week, the health risks they face will be far beyond the inherent risks of elite sports. The following players experienced extremely intensive schedules last season, playing more than 50 games, and the recovery time between most games was less than five days:
Real Madrid: Valverde, Luca Modric
Barcelona: Pedri, Rafinia
Atletico Madrid: Alvarez
Bayern Munich: Kim Min-jae
Recovery time after the window of international matches is usually less than 48 hours - which is far below the standard recommended by experts - especially for South American players who need to travel long distances to return to European and American clubs. Argentine player Enzo Fernandez is an example. Last season, he completed 29 trips, with a total travel time of 195 hours and a total flight distance of 149,010 kilometers. Chris Wood, captain of the New Zealand National Team and member of the Global Players Council of the International Federation of Professional Football Players, said: "For our players, it is crucial to get a recovery period to allow the body to adapt and re-enter the battle. We must ensure that we take care of our bodies from a long-term perspective. The key to examining the minimum rest standards, especially the pre-season preparation period, is the key. "
Young players face special risks of injury
Consensus study clarifies the specific workload guarantee needs of youth training players under the age of 18, while players under the age of 21 need more research support. However, the current situation shows insufficient caution: Rayamar has played 130 games before he turned 18 in July; and Archie Gray, who turned 19 in March, has been selected for Tottenham and England U21 teams in the roster for 80 times last season..
Dr. Burgess stressed that young players need training loads that are appropriate to their age, clear game appearance restrictions, and protected rest time: "During these growth stages, growth plates, tendons and ligaments remain fragile, excessive rapid running or short recovery windows can lead to long-term structural damage, and their psychological burden cannot be underestimated. "
source:Game 24h VN