The schedule for the autumn 2022 World Cup features prominently in the litany of criticism of the Qatar competition. This first in history – the competition has always been held in the summer – calls into question the physical condition in which the players will arrive in the small gas emirate. No prep camp this year for the embattled sides – with the exception of Qatar, who hauled their 26 globalists out of the domestic championship more than four months before hostilities began, and a few other countries.
According to a report released on November 15 by the International Federation of Professional Football Associations (Fifpro), the “preparation-recovery” period for this World Cup is reduced to seven days on average, compared to thirty-one at previous editions.
“If you have about thirty days ahead of you, you can adjust your preparation between those who have played a lot and those who don’t., notes Darren Burgess, Australia’s former performance director, who now works with the Players Union. With just seven or eight days, you can’t recondition those who have little club playing time but are mainstays in your squad. »
“Fewer kilometers in the legs”
In order to fit a month-long competition into an already busy schedule, it was necessary to streamline club meetings. In the European Cups, the three game weeks added up between September and November. A frantic pace that shouldn’t necessarily affect the physical freshness of Qatar’s players, according to Antonio Pintus, fitness coach at Real Madrid, a club that has many players in the Spanish squad.
“The players arrive with fewer kilometers on their feet. In the summer, some are already at 60 games. They’re not halfway through this year and will arrive fresherargues one of the men in the shadow of Madrid’s hat-trick in the Champions League between 2016 and 2018. This World Cup will be very interesting in terms of intensity. »
Paris FC physical coach Christophe Manouvrier is in abundance. “The players are used to playing from November to December, it’s like playing at a club and their championships are continuing. Those who leave the World Cup immediately after the group games even have a little more vacation than usual.jokes the one who worked for them Selection from Cameroon and Morocco. Although unprecedented, this international window does not raise concerns from technicians who insist on the importance of working ahead of the competition to limit risks.
