Three-week international break has benefits and dangers, warns Vincenzo Pincolini | OneFootball

A virtually unheard-of three-week international break has prompted clubs to hand time off to non-internationals, and former Italy and Milan fitness coach Vincenzo Pincolini sees both benefits and dangers.

UEFA’s new calendar merges two Nations League windows, meaning four matches and a domestic pause until October nine. With squads depleted by call-ups, meaningful tactical work is limited. Inter’s Cristian Chivu and Tottenham’s Roberto De Zerbi offered a week off, Lazio gave five days.

"Those players who aren’t on international duty have an important advantage, because they will have time to do what is no longer possible even in the summer, seeing as there are now such long pre-season retreats." he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Inter did very well to give their players such a long time off, because it’s not just rest, but giving them responsibility for looking after themselves."

"If you don’t have many players on international duty, you can train for three weeks without pressure, have a couple of relaxed friendly matches, and be ready against a side that had seven or eight players in four international matches."

"It’s longer than a winter break, it’s a sort of mini pre-season. Training can only do so much, but having a full 90-minute match is the most important training that a player can have."

Source: Football Italia

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”