Blame FIFA’s cabal of crooks for injury chaos that cheapens the World Cup
ONE imagines the message from Argentina was given short shrift at the various Premier League clubs. When the laughter had subsided the replies would have gone out. No, we will not be resting your players for the final round of matches before the World Cup.
Yet with the luckless Ben Chilwell the latest absentee, and Son Heung-min now sweating on his fitness, will players choose to take control of their own destinies, considering nobody gave a damn about them when this cursed schedule was agreed?
It is only now the game is waking up to precisely how ruinous the Qatar World Cup promises to be. Until this moment all the talk has been of corruption, the heat, workers’ rights, gay rights, media rights, overpriced accommodation, disruption to the European leagues, the many logistical issues affecting fans, not least the button- down nature of the host regime.
Yet what of the players? When FIFA’s cabal of crooks voted to take the tournament to the Gulf in summer, there was a discussion about player welfare in 50ºC heat. And then when the dirty deal was done to move the World Cup to winter, it stopped. Nobody considered the ramifications of one week to prepare. That a hamstring injury in October could spell the end of a World Cup dream.
Players have always got injured before and during tournaments. There will always be heartbreak for some. Yet the growing list of names who are now either absent, or extremely doubtful, confirms how unsuitable and unacceptable this World Cup is. FIFA have taken their crown jewel and cheapened it. This may become a rogue competition with a rogue winner, based on good fortune.
Take France, one of the tournament favourites, but now without Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante and perhaps Raphael Varane and Boubacar Kamara. What are their re- evaluated chances? What will be their fortune if, in Paris Saint-Germain’s remaining matches against Lorient and Auxerre, Kylian Mbappe suffers the type of niggling injury that is an occupational hazard for athletes but this month might deny him a career pinnacle? Auxerre are 16th. PSG should beat them comfortably, Mbappe or not. Why would he go flat out in the match knowing the consequences of mishap? England have evolved from having an embarrassment of riches at full back to three fit players covering two roles, one of whom is Gareth Southgate’s fourth choice in his position. So how does Southgate feel about Newcastle’s upcoming games against Southampton, Crystal Palace and Chelsea; or Manchester United’s two games with Aston Villa and the trip to Fulham, scheduled to be the last Premier League match before the hiatus.
He can’t ask Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw to go easy — but what will they be thinking when they put their World Cup participation on the line? Son (left) didn’t give Qatar a thought when he forcefully jumped for that ball with Marseille’s Chancel Mbemba on Tuesday. Does he regret it?
There are nine Argentinian players across seven Premier League clubs. Lisandro Martinez and Alejandro Garnacho at Manchester United, Emiliano Buendia and Emiliano Martinez at Aston Villa, Cristian Romero at Tottenham, Alexis Mac Allister at Brighton, Manuel Lanzini at West Ham, Marcos Senesi at Bournemouth and Julian Alvarez at Manchester City. All but Garnacho, Lanzini
and Senesi were in Argentina’s last squad against Jamaica in September. Yet Buendia, Alvarez and Lanzini are most often substitutes for their clubs and Garnacho hasn’t started a league game all season. Why would they risk their World cup chances if called upon in, say, a carabao cup tie next midweek?
Already we hear that Romero will not be fit to play in any of tottenham’s three games before the break, but he is expected to be back for Argentina’s opener against Saudi Arabia on November 22.
Remember last year’s covid release row when Premier League clubs were refusing to let their South American players go back to play matches in red list countries? By the time tottenham and Aston Villa had reached a compromise with the Argentinian federation over their four selected players, they were already on the plane.
the current group know what Argentina wish for them to do and country is all, in South America particularly. Where england managers always have to fight to get players for friendlies, a global star like Roberto carlos never dreamt of skipping a game for Brazil.
he made 125 appearances, including 58 friendlies, and nothing was too inconsequential. New Zealand in Geneva, Jamaica in Leicester, Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, hong Kong in hong Kong, carlos played in them all. And if it was costa Rica in Paranavai, Latvia in Paranaense or even Manaus for croatia’s Under 21 team, carlos flew home.
In the calendar year from June 5, 1999, he played 58 times for Real Madrid and 18 times for Brazil, a total of 76 matches often involving arduous continental travel.
If anything, the sense of patriotic duty has only grown greater now many South American players spend the bulk of their careers in europe. Witness the emotion felt by the Brazil squad during the World cup in 2014. david Luiz was typical of the time, playing just 52 games for Vitoria before departing to Portugal. he was overwrought before the 7-1 defeat by Germany, with so much to prove to the fans back home.
In the last squad picked by coach tite before this tournament, just three selections played in Brazil, including a reserve goalkeeper, and only thiago Silva and Neymar had made more than 100 appearances in Brazilian club football. Several had never kicked a ball in their own country. this doesn’t mean they will shield as the World cup nears necessarily, but it might explain a dual sense of priority.
Whose fault is this? Not the players’. the sheer weight of injured absentees in Qatar suggests most continue fulfilling their duties, no matter the risks. Blame FIFA for the sheer venality of this tournament, for its self-serving scheduling which allowed the crooks of its executive committee to cast their votes, then slither away into the night.
Now we are seeing the cost. tottenham fans on the way home from Marseille were already speculating that harry Kane might find a smart way to sidestep next week’s matches against Nottingham Forest and Leeds. there was no sign of his commitment waning in the Stade Velodrome, but given the thoughtlessness of FIFA’s grand plan, if there was, would it be any wonder?