PSG, international duty and a delicate balance: Luis Campos speaks out

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·15 September 2025

PSG, international duty and a delicate balance: Luis Campos speaks out

As a guest on Rothen s’enflamme on RMC Sport, Luis Campos, sporting advisor for Paris Saint-Germain, explained the club’s philosophy regarding the physical management of players. Between a deliberately limited squad, highly sought-after internationals, and the need to work hand in hand with the French Football Federation, the Portuguese draws a delicate line.

Campos: “The players always tell me they prefer to play three times a week rather than twice”

“We all thought together about the transfer window. The players always tell me they prefer to play three times a week rather than twice. It’s up to us, the technical and medical staff, to find solutions so that the players are able to do it. Today, PSG has such a good connection between the different departments working at Poissy, with the final decision coming from the coach, it’s about understanding the workload and recovery.”

Campos: “We’ve done extraordinary work in managing the players’ workload and recovery”

The medical team is more complex today—prevention, workload, recovery, nutrition. We have data we didn’t have before. The evolution of modern football demands more matches. We played 65 matches last season, plus international call-ups, almost without injury. Because we’ve done extraordinary work in managing the players’ workload and recovery. We are very modern in this regard. Then, at some point, the players go on international duty. When that happens, we are very happy at PSG; it’s a sign that we’re working well if we have a lot of internationals.”

Campos: “We have enormous respect for the FFF”

The French national team and communication We have enormous respect for the FFF, Didier Deschamps, and his staff. When we send a player on international duty, we need to have a lot of communication about workload and recovery. We have data that allows us to know that players have different recovery speeds. Vitinha recovers faster than others. It’s good for everyone if we communicate more.”

Campos: “If we share information, everyone will benefit”

I know that UEFA is working on this, because it’s not a problem that only happened in France. It’s an evolution. Dembélé showed signs of fatigue and we communicated that to the FFF. In the future, we need to communicate more for the good of the players and football. If we have more discussions about recovery, fatigue, or workload, it’s easier for everyone to make decisions. If we share information, everyone will benefit—PSG, the player, and the FFF. It’s very important.”

Behind his measured tone, Luis Campos outlines a political battle that PSG cannot ignore. With a reduced squad, designed to promote competitiveness and limit frustration, the club inevitably exposes itself to the risks of wear and tear. And in a schedule where its key players juggle Ligue 1, the Champions League, and international duty, Paris cannot expect to go two seasons without a major injury. Campos knows it: the key lies in internal optimization—data, medical monitoring, prevention, nutrition—but also in the ability to engage in dialogue with the FFF. The sporting advisor thus insists on communication around workloads, citing Vitinha (24 years old) as a fast-recovering player, and Dembélé (27 years old), whose fatigue had been reported.

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For PSG, it’s not about opposing the French national team, but about building a relationship of equals where everyone protects their interests. Campos is therefore playing a subtle card: appearing as a loyal partner while reminding that, without consultation, it’s Parisian competitiveness that risks being sacrificed, but also that of the Bleus (and other national teams). This prepared speech, on a widely listened-to radio station, is a communication exercise that Campos enjoys. Dembélé got injured; the player can also raise the alarm about his own fatigue.

Not everything is black or white, not everything is the fault of the FFF and Didier Deschamps, and perhaps the first step towards successful communication with the FFF would be to do everything possible for transparency. Injuries are legion in football; we shouldn’t blame the whole world when they happen.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.