Inter Midfielder Arturo Vidal: “We Have To Reduce The Number Of Games, Football Is A Celebration, Not A Slave Market”

Inter midfielder Arturo Vidal has called for the number of games in the football calendar to be reduced, according to a report in the media today.

Speaking during an interview with FIFPRO which is the international players union, Arturo Vidal reflected on the findings from the 2022 Player and High Performance Coaches Survey.

Many players and coaches have called for a stop to the continuous creation of new tournaments and fixtures for the players to carry out as it is increasing the level of fatigue and therefore the level of their performances.

“Accumulated exposure puts us at risk as players because it can reduce our performance and may also shorten many players’ careers. And in that area we must be responsible and all of us who are involved must think together about how it can be reduced.

“The situation particularly affects South American players, who have to travel long distances to go and play their matches. It’s not like Europe, where everything is closer.”

Arturo Vidal explained that like in any other line of work, it is important for the players to be able to get away from the sport every now and then.

“Let’s ensure that the protocols are complied with; that’s crucial. Everyone recommends that rest periods must be implemented and enforced, whether while we are playing in our leagues or in the legal holiday period.

“As in any job, it’s essential to get away from the duties we perform almost all year round, and hopefully not think about anything to do with our daily routine. It’s a matter of mental health as well.”

He also stressed that players have been informed of these issues for some time by their unions.

“For quite a while now our unions have been informing us of this problem, based on the data provided by FIFPRO’s Player Workload Monitoring (PWM) Platform.

“We know that it measures match congestion by examining the increasing number of minutes footballers are playing in back-to-back matches.

“So when we talk about it we have a basis for what we’re saying. All these numbers go against scientists’ recommendations on our performance, health and physical exertion as players.”

He then urged footballers to fight against it and not lose sight of what football should be about.

“As footballers, we must be capable of fighting against this, for the sake of our careers and families, but above all for football as entertainment. We can’t be exposed to these parameters, because football is a celebration, not a slave market.”