Tired of the global grind? FIFA's expanded Club World Cup leaves top players feeling drained, says ex-pro David James
"David James voices concerns over player fatigue at FIFA, suggesting Manchester City could declare their first team as injured and field the youth squad at the Club World Cup as a jest."
The Club World Cup is about to burst at the seams with 32 teams battling it out across the United States, starting later this month. FIFA said goodbye to the old days of just seven teams playing seven games in total, opting for a globe-trotting, fan-following spectacle instead.
Is the Club World Cup racetrack too much for players to handle? James's take
Former pro David James isn't impressed. He thinks it's a ridiculous idea for top clubs like Manchester City to send their entire first team to the tournament, given the grueling schedule that awaits them. "If I were Man City, I'd declare my entire first team injured and send the youth team," James spits. "It's a total joke."
James—who, by the way, ranked as the fifth greatest-ever Premier League goalkeeper according to our website—believes this isn't just about putting players through the wringer for the sake of it; it's all about the money. "The old format was fine," he says. "But with this format, it looks like FIFA is trying to squeeze more greenbacks out of the players."
The expanded tournament: a money-making machine or a player-killer?
The ex-pro isn't wrong. With 32 teams participating, players could find themselves burned out before the season even begins. Given the typical international duty workload, a club like Man City might struggle to keep their star players in optimal condition.
David James isn't the only one questioning the new format. With the tourney's expansion, both the players and fans are looking at a lot of travel, potentially leading to a severely fatigued squad of athletes by the time the season starts again.
James isn't happy about the thought of players being compromised for one competition. "I don't like it," he says. "It's a new format, so there will be a lot of opinions similar to mine that this will never work."
He admits that teams are obligated to send their best squads, but injured players should be declared as such. "Sports science teams are looking at recovery periods, so if a player is injured, they should be rested," James insists. "It's not logical for a club to rely on exhausted players for nine months of the season due to one competition."
But, if the event maintains its current format and becomes a regular occurrence, we'll likely see teams striving to win it, with increased competition. However, in its current incarnation, players are bound to feel the strain.
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Sources:[1] Association football[2] FIFA[3] Suite, I. (2021). FIFA Club World Cup expansion imminent, targeted for 2025. Intelligent Football. [4] Saunders, S. (2021). FIFA Club World Cup to be expanded to 32 teams from 2025. The Guardian. [5] Wikipedia. (n.d.). Football player burnout. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_player_burnout
The expanded FIFA Club World Cup, featuring 32 teams, might be too challenging for players, especially those from European leagues like the Premier League, who could face exhaustion before the season begins due to the grueling schedule and excessive travel.
David James, a former Premier League goalkeeper, openly criticizes the new format, advocating for clubs to place the well-being of their players over the competition by declaring injured players as such and allowing for proper recovery periods in sports science.
