Elite schedule 'not sustainable' amid 55-game seasons
The Premier League may have just returned from a three-week break, but for many of its stars there was no rest at all.
Premier League stars are finding it increasingly challenging to maintain their elite performance amid the demanding 55-game season schedule. According to Dr Dave Richardson, head of psychology, sports science and wellbeing at the University of Lincoln, this level of commitment is not sustainable. The impact of the hectic schedule is already evident, with players opting to pick their battles and refrain from participating in international fixtures.
Five players - Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento - pulled out of the England squad before an international window. Germany's Kai Havertz and France's Kylian Mbappe also withdrew from the recent international break. The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) CEO Maheta Molango says the withdrawals are indicative of a "sick system," emphasizing that players cannot cheat biology.
However, Dr Richardson asserts that mandating a three-week summer break and a retraining period every summer is impossible in the current fragmented system of sporting bodies. Expert in the impact of sleep on sports performance, Dr Chris James, from Cardiff University, argues that men's football is failing to prioritize the well-being of its players, citing the culture of concealing mental health struggles.
Former England defender Matt Upson notes that while intense periods together can benefit team dynamics, the extended early international break imposes significant physical and psychological strain on players.
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