THESE PLAYERS NEED SAVING

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Finally the last international break for the year is over. No more boring weekends till next year. Well that might not necessarily be the case if you consider what we saw over the weekend, knowing very well that the world cup is around the corner.

The international break though doesn't come without bringing its own set of headaches and problems for the different clubs, leaving many managers scratching their heads and looking for plausible ways to wriggle their ways out of difficult injury situations. This is mostly felt by the top teams with many national team players.

The sheer number of matches which players are expected to navigate in a very short period of time is becoming increasingly destructive to the players. The post covid era has been filled with congestion in the football calendar, with players and teams doing what would have been considered impossible about a decade ago.

The shifting of the world cup this year to winter has taken the whole situation to new heights. For the first time there will be disruptions in the middle of the season that is not winter break. The world cup has necessitated tighter match schedules and a shorter break for players.

According to a study by Insurance broker Howden, European Football Injury Index for the 2021-22 season estimated that injury costs went up by 29% to £513.2 million ($559.6 million), with French champions Paris Saint-Germain topping that list at £34.2 million

This might look like the club's are the real losers as they keep paying for players who are out chilling in the hospitals or at their homes. But merchandise, image rights and other secondary sources makes it easy for them to recoup their monies without stress.

But there are serious concerns for players' welfare as a result of the congestion in the fixture calendar. Football has evolved into more of a business than an entertainment avenue where club owners are much more concerned with the amount of money they're making at the detriment of both the players and quality of play.

The numerous competitions means more revenue for the club's and it's owners. Players might also be paid humongous sums these days, but these can be said to be only compensation for their longevity risk.

Football is ephemeral in nature and you're considered as good as your last game, therefore the more time these players are away from the field, the more they run the risk of losing value and teetering into mediocrity.

These absences for the most part doesn't affect the club owners who still pocket more money from merchandise and ticket prices that cannot be refunded. The youngsters were just as badly hit as their older counterparts as shown by the study that Players under the age of 21 were especially affected, with their number of injuries rising from 30 in 2018-19 to 326 in 2021-22.

That's a tenfold rise in the space of four years. As the older players got injured, clubs were forced to look at their youngsters for cover, but even their youths could not help mitigate the effects of the congestion.

Another effect with the youngsters is the issue of burn out. More and more youngsters are being thrown into the deep as clubs try to rotate their squads, just as they try to stay within the confines of the FFP.

This players end up losing their easing in period with lots of expectations and pressure placed on their shoulders to succeed in endeavour that some of their older colleagues even failed at.

These can not be a good omen for the beautiful game in the long run as the quality of football has already started declining, just as the next generation of superstars seem to be declining in number as well.

It might be good business so far for the business beneficiaries of the football game, but it is spelling a bleak future for the quality of the game and the quality of it's players.

There's no business in football without the players and at some point football administrators will have to make the welfare of the players a major consideration in their decision making process.

These boys are not robots and the more they stretch their body, the more they shorten its lifespan. Science can only do so much as at the end, nature will set in and take its full course. These players need saving.

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