Santa Clara squad in uproar: “We demand respect and professionalism” | OneFootball

The Santa Clara team took to social media this Friday to criticize the requirement to play, for the 15th round of the championship, the home game against Arouca with less than 72 hours of rest.

Vasco Matos' players will have less than three days to prepare for the match against Arouca, after going into extra time against Sporting in the Portuguese Cup round of 16 (losing 2-3). The match with Sporting generated controversy, especially due to the penalty awarded during injury time, which allowed the equalizer (2-2).

The message was addressed to Liga Portugal and the Players' Union.

“We, the players of Santa Clara, want to protest against being forced by Liga Portugal to play against Arouca with less than 72 hours of rest, due to the game going into extra time. This fact should have already been considered when scheduling the game, as last season, in Alvalade, our game also went into extra time, just like in this edition of the Cup. We regret that the players' union does not speak out in our defense, putting us at risk of injuries due to lack of rest. We remain united and working professionally to honor our club and our region. However, we demand respect and professionalism from all entities,” reads an Instagram story shared by all the players of the Azorean club, currently 11th in the Primeira Liga.

Protest message from the Santa Clara team

Before the clash with Sporting, Santa Clara had already expressed dissatisfaction with having less recovery time than the national champions – Sporting played on Saturday, the 13th, while the Azoreans only took the field on Monday, the 15th, due to the postponement caused by Braga's participation in a European competition the previous Thursday.

The Players' Union has already commented on the situation.

“The Players' Union expresses total understanding and solidarity with the revolt of the Santa Clara team, related to the lack of rest and adequate preparation for the next game against Arouca, after a game with extra time for the Portuguese Cup.

The issue of competitive overload and poor calendar management has been on the agenda of the Players' Union and FIFPRO, internationally, for several years, with annual studies indicating the need for measures to protect the health, both physical and mental, and the well-being of athletes.

No other sports organization has worked on this matter like the Players' Union, seeking, through all political and institutional means at its disposal, to make this issue a priority for the League, the Federation, and the Government.

It should be noted that the management of the calendars is done exclusively by the League and the decisions on scheduling or postponing games are regulated between clubs, with the protagonists of the game, unfortunately, not having the right to intervene and veto decisions that put their health and well-being at risk, increasing the risk of injuries.

Thus, the Players' Union fully supports the claims of the Santa Clara players, embracing their concerns and welcoming them to this fight for the entire class.

We hope that there is the capacity for the League and the clubs involved – Santa Clara and Arouca – to find a solution to this problem, but also that there is a serious reflection in Portugal on the organization of calendars and measures that protect the players, overloaded by: number of games; lack of rest between games; continuous travel and concentration periods without respect for rest or vacation periods.

All these problems jeopardize the professionals and the integrity of the competition.

The Players' Union also challenges the affected clubs to join this fight, in a regular and concerted manner for an effective change and not just to react when a problem arises.

The health of the players will always come first and, above any value, it is non-negotiable, and we advocate for a strong action from the entire class to defend this right,” reads the official statement issued.

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