The load control of the professionals is always an issue. FIFPro now proposes a mandatory break between games.
The players’ union FIFPro has proposed that after five appearances with a break of less than five days in between, professional players must sit out for a game. This emerges from the “workload report” for the 2020/21 season.
That would mean that a player would not be allowed to complete more than two English weeks in a row. This is to avoid overloading the players. According to the report, “mandatory breaks” are an urgently needed step to avoid burnout among players.
FIFPro is in favor of breaks: “A high load on the players is unbearable”
“This high burden on the players is unbearable,” said FIFPro general secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann. “Of course you can play on the weekend, then during the week and then again on the weekend. But what about the week after?
In his eyes, there is no other way than to limit the operating times. “Do you have to handle it flexibly so that no Champions League final is affected? Of course. But that can be done without any problems if you regulate intelligently and compensate for it with recovery times,” said Baer-Hoffmann. “It’s less of a problem than waiting for an injury and then the player is out for six weeks. That damages the competition and the fan experience even more.”
Instead of reducing operating times, clubs and associations have been considering introducing new competitions such as the Super League or a World Cup held every two years in the past few months.
FIFPro represents around 65,000 football professionals worldwide.
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
