Sports
GLOBAL footballers’ union FIFPro says it is not good for football that at least 15 2018 FIFA World Cup players have taken part in UEFA club competitions in recent weeks.
The union said this has happened less than four weeks after returning from Russia, and the players had been without a sufficient close season break.
It then reiterated its call for a mandatory rest period of at least four weeks between the final game of one season and the start of pre-season training for the next.
“Players are coming under too much pressure, caught between the needs of their clubs and their own personal well-being,” the union said in a statement.
“While FIFPro understands the financial implications of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League for clubs, the health of these players is being put at risk because of such a congested match schedule,” it added.
The group stage of the World Cup in Russia, which was officially part of last season, finished on June 28 while the final match was played on July 15.
The first round of qualifying for this season’s UEFA Champions League began on July 10, meaning that the two seasons in effect overlapped by a few days.
Iceland’s Arnor Traustason played — and scored — for Swedish champions Malmo in a 3-0 win away to Kosovar side Drita in a UEFA Champions League qualifier on July 10.
Serbia World Cup squad members Nemanja Radonjic and Milan Rodic played for Red Star Belgrade in a UEFA Champions League qualifier on July 11.
Their compatriot Vladimir Stojkovic played for Partizan in the Europa League the following day.
While clubs from smaller leagues are already involved in European qualifiers, big clubs are on lucrative tours abroad.
On Sunday, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said his team’s 2018 FIFA World Cup participants should consider cutting their holidays short.
He said this was to help the depleted team in the opening stages of the English Premier League season.
Several players from Manchester United’s first-choice starting line-up, including Frenchman Paul Pogba, Belgian Romelu Lukaku and Englishman Jesse Lingard could miss the opening league fixture against Leicester City.
This fixture comes up in less than two weeks’ time.
England defender Phil Jones and forward Marcus Rashford are expected to return early to help prepare for the start of the season.
Mourinho, frustrated after seeing his side lose 4-1 to Liverpool in the U.S. on Saturday, has suggested that others should do the same.(Reuters/NAN)
– Jul. 30, 2018 @ 17:55 GMT |
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