Varane’s relentless pressure
RAPHAEL VARANE’S decision to save his career from burnout and quit international football will open the floodgates for the game’s top stars.
Many feel under pressure from their clubs to put their feet up and relax during the international break rather than risk injury and fatigue from representing their countries around the globe.
Manchester United defender Varane, who reached the World Cup Final in December with France, turned his back on adding to his 93 caps after admitting that something had to give in a torturous schedule.
He said: “Playing at the highest level is like a washing machine – you play all the time and you never stop.”
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois believes that a non-stop schedule of playing for his club and Belgium contributed to his ACL knee injury.
He said: “Players are being treated like robots. It’s no wonder there are so many injuries. It’s little wonder that players are giving up on international football to try and recharge the batteries.”
Varane added: “We have overloaded schedules. I felt I was suffocating with the amount of football and I know a lot of other players feel the same.”
FIFPRO, the international players union, is constantly commissioning research into the workload being foisted on the players.
One FIFPRO report revealed that Tottenham’s Heung-min Son played 78 matches in a year, travelling 70,000 miles to represent South Korea in the World Cup, the Asian Cup and Asian Games.
“Many players are at breaking point,” the report concluded.
General secretary Jonas Baer-hoffmann said: “Data shows we must release pressure on players at the top end of the game.
“It’s time to make player health and performance a priority.”