Real Madrid superstar urges football to follow NBA model amid growing player workload | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s season so far has been topsy-turvy, but not many can complain given how hectic it has been week in and week out.

With two games scheduled every week and the international break sucking up any remaining gaps in the calendar, it has been a tough season for Los Blancos and other European giants.

In fact, the ongoing season has attracted massive criticism from players for the sheer lack of concern for their wellbeing and welfare.

Courtois calls for player welfare

Speaking on the burning topic in a recent interview, Real Madrid superstar Thibaut Courtois admitted that the governing bodies do not indeed pay any heed to player welfare and that their priorities were different.

“No, I don’t think so. FIFPro is trying to protect the players, but I think the other governing bodies are not thinking about it.”

Elaborating on the Club World Cup in particular which has only made the season longer and more difficult for players, the Belgian star admitted there had to have been a better way to host it without burdening players.

“The Club World Cup is something that has to exist, but it is difficult to find the right way to host it. I think the clubs want to help, but we all stick to the rules and follow the calendar that we are given.”

The goalkeeper then spoke on the importance of having rest after a long season and how it was critical to avoid injury crises.

“I think footballers wouldn’t mind playing for nine months straight with proper preparation and pressure management.”

He explained and furthered his point by pointing to the NBA where players get adequate rest before the start of a new season.

“If you have two months off in the summer, like in the NBA, you can rest your body for a month and train for another month. Players will be more prepared to play for nine full months. When you don’t have a break, you accumulate injuries.”

Courtois also stressed the fact that the Club World Cup was not a one-off scenario but just one of the innumerable and unavoidable events that appear to cut short players’ vacation and rest periods.

“This year it will be the Club World Cup, then next year the World Cup, then the year after that something else, so there is no rest for the players.”

Courtois appalled by the lack of concern towards player welfare. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Calling out for the need for better balance between club and international football, he said,

“Of course, there are more international matches. In the national team that plays in the Nations League, it is great to play in a small tournament and win the cup, and that gives the small teams the chance to qualify for the European Championship,” he began.

“The problem is that in September, October and November, the best players and the big players have to play important games where the coach cannot rotate, cannot try new things,” he added.

The player then gave the example of his own teammates, Dani Carvajal and Jude Bellingham, and how they virtually had not rested ahead of the ongoing season.

“Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal played until July 14, then on August 1, they were training in Madrid, and on August 8, they played the (European) Super Cup.”

“If you explain this to people in America with the NBA and the NFL, they won’t understand,” he elaborated.

Courtois also explained how the problem was very serious for the European giants like Real Madrid who play twice every week with no time to recover.

“If you play in a team that plays once a week, you don’t understand the calendar problem because you have a game every Saturday and you deal with it and that’s how it goes… but for us big players, it’s different.”

To make his point more clear, he narrated an anecdote of a conversation he had with Federico Valverde, saying,

“One day I was laughing with Federico Valverde. I said to him: ‘Your next holiday will be in 2027’. Do you know how crazy that sounds!”

Source: CNN