Red alert for FIFA

Spanish newspaper AS describes a "strange epidemic" spreading in the football world, as a series of stars suddenly withdraw from the national team due to short-term injuries.

Yamal is injured and is expected to be out for 7-10 days.

During the FIFA Days in November, a series of stars suddenly withdrew due to minor injuries that only lasted 7-10 days. From Lamine Yamal, Bradley Barcola, Enzo Fernandez to Federico Valverde and Thiabaut Courtois. All had the same scenario. There, the players played normally for their clubs, but were not fit enough to play for the national team.

The fire of suspicion was sparked by Yamal’s case. Barcelona announced that the 18-year-old striker had suffered a pain in his pubic area and had to withdraw from the Spanish squad. However, Yamal still played almost all of the last 3 matches in La Liga and the Champions League.

Similarly, Fernandez and Pedro Neto still played against Chelsea but were absent from the Argentina and Portugal national teams due to fitness issues. The Portuguese Federation (FPF) even confirmed that Neto's rest was the result of an exchange between Chelsea's medical department and the FPF.

For Real Madrid, Federico Valverde and Thibaut Courtois were both announced to be suffering from muscle injuries, having missed the Uruguay and Belgium training camps. However, both are expected to return before the match against Elche on November 23.

Courtois and Valverde were injured during the national team training session.

The fact that many players are suffering short-term injuries at the same time raises doubts about whether this is a tactic of the clubs to preserve their strength, in the context of a harsh competition schedule that is wearing down the players' physical strength?

According to experts, the current intensity of competition exceeds the safety threshold. Top players have to play nearly 70 games per season, constantly traveling across the continent. "7-day injury" therefore becomes a reasonable shield to help them rest without affecting their image.

Under growing pressure, FIFA was forced to act. President Gianni Infantino met with more than 30 player unions in Rabat and agreed on a plan to reduce the match schedule. Starting from the 2026/27 season, FIFA will scrap the October training camp, instead placing four international matches in September, while also ensuring a 72-hour break between matches and a mandatory 21-day summer break for players.

This is considered a necessary step to end the underground war between the club and the national team, where the health of the players is gradually pushed to the most dangerous limit in the era of industrial football.

Source: https://znews.vn/bao-dong-do-cho-fifa-post1602282.html