Top stars ready to follow Varane's lead and quit internationals in burnout fears
Top players could follow Manchester United star Raphael Varane and quit international football to save themselves from burnout.
Some are under pressure from their clubs to put their feet up and relax during the international break rather than risk injury and fatigue from representing their countries all over the globe.
Varane, who reached the World Cup final in December with France, turned his back on adding to his 93 caps admitting that something had to give in a torturous schedule. “Playing at the highest level is like a washing machine. You play all the time and you never stop.” he explained.
Real Madrid ’s former Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois believes that a non-stop schedule of playing for club and Belgium has contributed to him suffering an ACL knee injury. “Players are being treated like robots,” he stated. “It’s no wonder there are so many injuries. It’s little wonder that players are giving up on international football to try and recharge the batteries.” Varane added: “We have overloaded schedules. I felt I was suffocating with the amount of football and I know a lot of other players feel the same.”
Jamie Vardy admitted that he ended his England days to help safeguard his Leicester City career while Alan Shearer quit England citing his need to give his club Newcastle United value for money in the latter years of his career. It’s a dilemma affecting even more players and at a young age because of the increased football schedules with extra club commitments and soon to be extended competitions like the Champions League and the FIFA World Club Cup.
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Varane won the World Cup with France in 2018 (AFP via Getty Images)FIFPRO, the international players union, is constantly commissioning research into the heavy workload being foisted on the players. General secretary Jonas Baer Hoffmann said: “Data shows that we must release pressure on players at the top end of the game.
"We need regulation and enforcement mechanisms to protect players. It’s time to make player health and performance a priority. Something has to give because players are involved in too many games and this is resulting in more and more injuries.”
A shrinking close season and more prestigious pre-season friendlies all over the world in the name of big money and expanding the brand has added to the pressure on the game’s stars. It’s why there is a growing temptation for players to cut short their international careers and utilise the break in a bid to extend their careers.
One FIFPRO report revealed that Tottenham ’s Heung-Min Son played 78 matches in a year travelling 70,000 miles to represent South Korea in the World Cup, the Asian Cup and Asian Games. “Many players are at breaking point”, the report concluded. And international football could be the fall-guy.
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