A congested football calendar and the wellbeing of players: correlation between match exposure of European footballers before the World Cup 2002 and their injuries and performances during that World Cup

J Ekstrand, M Waldén and M Hägglund

British Journal of Sports Medicine

2004, Vol 38; pages 493-497.

Jan Ekstrand and researchers from the Linköping University, Sweden have published research investigating the relationship between match exposure of elite soccer players prior to an international tournament and the same players' levels of performance and injury during that tournament. This is a very pertinent research question as a growing number of football experts have questioned the quality of play at major tournaments and attributed a reduction in quality on the lack of preparation available for top players.

Ekstrand et al liaised with some of the world's top football clubs, namely Arsenal FC (England); Manchester United FC (England); Paris Saint-Germain FC (France); Stade Rennais FC (France); RC Lens (France); AC Milan (Italy); Juventus FC (Italy); Internazionale FC (Italy); AFC Ajax (Netherlands); PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands); Real Madrid CF (Spain), in order to ascertain the exposure levels (i.e the number of matches and training sessions) of each player and their incidence of injury during season 2001 - 2002.

The findings make very interesting reading. The number of team matches during the season varied between 40 and 76 for the different countries involved. The individual player had a mean of 36 matches during the season. Top players played more matches, especially during the final period of the season. Players who participated in the 2002 World Cup played more matches during the season than those who did not (46 v 33 matches). World Cup players did not show any increased risk of injury during the season. About 29% of the players incurred injuries during the World Cup, and 32% performed below their normal standard (based on subjective assessment). The players who underperformed had played more matches during the 10 weeks before the World Cup than those who performed better than expected (12.5 v 9). Twenty three (60%) of the 38 players who had played more than one match a week in the period before the World Cup incurred injuries or underperformed during the tournament.

Underperformance was assessed subjectively by three former international coaches and the authors acknowledged this as a weakness in the study. Although this is hardly scientific, few would argue with the findings – most armchair fans would agree that the ‘big name players' have not necessarily performed optimally during recent FIFA and UEFA tournaments. Whether this is due primarily to domestic fixture congestion is difficult to say – maybe they don't get on so well with their international coaches; perhaps the international coaches are not as competent as the player's club coaches; certainly some players have a very limited time to adjust to playing with their international teams – all these factors may have a detrimental effect on team performance.

The injury data is objective and quite frightening. That 60% of players from elite clubs sustained an injury during the 2002 World Cup seems very high. Ekstrand et al cite physical and mental fatigue (in their words ‘burn out') as contributory factors to injury. This would seem logical and the remedy would appear equally straightforward – reduce the domestic fixture calendar, to allow an adequate preparation period for the players involved in the international tournaments.

Some clubs may be resistant to a reduced number of fixtures as it would mean a reduction in TV revenue, and anyway what do they care if the quality of play during the World Cup is not high? This would seem a short sighted attitude; after all it is 'their' players who are put at risk of injury during such tournaments.

Go to the journal >

• Home
• Research
• Research Reviews

Recommended Products

LEARN

SHOP

© Copyright PhysioRoom.com 2001-2008. All rights reserved. Sitemap.

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE
The articles on this web site are provided for general information only and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or treatment. All exercises and information featured on this web site should only be practised under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional.

We accept most major credit/debits cards

PhysioRoom.com Limited, Unit 1 & 2 Dawson Court, Billington Road, Burnley, Lancashire BB11 5UB, England

Sports Injury & Physiotherapy Search Marketing by Epiphany.