Is The Intensity Of The Modern Game Affecting Players Health?
There are no words to describe the heartbreaking scenes which took place during Denmark and Finland's Euro 2020 game on the 16th of June. The tragic collapse of Christian Eriksen due to cardiac arrest has left the footballing world in shock. Thankfully, due to the heroic efforts of the medical staff within the Telia Parken stadium, the 29 year-old was resuscitated and brought to hospital for further treatment. After a successful operation which fitted Eriksen with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), The Danish midfielder has now left hospital and will return home to recover. The midfielder's Danish team mates must also be commended for their efforts to ensure Eriksen received treatment privately and also for supporting his wife Sabrina who was visibly distraught as she awaited an update on her husband's condition from the sideline. As well as the players, referee Anthony Taylor rightfully received praise for his quick reactions to the Danish midfielder collapsing ensuring all medical staff quickly made their way to his aid. But through tragedy came triumph as Eriksen's recovery spurred on his Danish team-mates to an incredible 4-1 win against Russia which qualified them for the knock-out stages of the Euros. It has not yet been confirmed as to what triggered Christian Eriksen's cardiac arrest, be it an underlining condition or something else. Whatever the reason may be, and there is no evidence to show his collapse was down to fixture congestion or the intensity of the game his teams play, it could spark the debate as to whether or not the intensity and number of matches played in the modern game is effecting players' health and possibly shortening their careers. Throughout the decades, football has changed dramatically. Not only from the technical aspects of the game in regards to how teams set up, the style of play and coaching, but how players approach the game physically. Long gone are the days of drinking rounds of pints before and after games, the pre match meal consisting of a kebab as Roy Keane would admit to, as well as chain smoking in between training sessions. Players today are in peak physical condition and nothing less will do given the level of games played and the pace in which they are played at. Credit must be given to managers in England such as Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Sam Allardyce for the development and implementation of stricter regimes for players in order to improve them physically but also prepare them for the changing landscape of the game. Many players who were less concerned with strict regimes found their careers wind to close as they could not play in a game which was more physically demanding, unless they abandoned their extracurricular activities. The dedication of modern footballers to their health is incredible. Players such as Christiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimavic and James Milner are in top physical shape and are among some of the fittest players in Europe despite their age. But despite the fantastic conditioning of players in today's game, the number of injuries throughout European squads is massive. A database compiled by premierinjures.com back in November of 2020 found that there were 133 muscle injuries picked up by teams throughout the Premier League in the first nine games of the season. This was a 23% increase compared to the previous season. Managers such as Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have been critical of the fixture schedule since arriving in the Premier League. After the suspension of the previous Premier League season due to Covid 19, players were forced to end the season and start the next season just a few weeks later. Liverpool suffered the most from the fixture congestion and short time frame between seasons as top players such as Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez both suffered season ending injuries very early on into the season. Van Dijk's injury could be viewed as more of a freak occurrence, but playing almost every game for two and a half seasons certainly increases his likelihood of injury. (Photo by PA Images/Sipa USA)  It is rare that footballers at top level receive more than the standard three weeks holidays without having to play international football during the summer. Be it friendlies, tournaments or tournament qualifiers, international games have increased almost every season. As well as international games, plans are always in motion in relation to increasing games in cup competitions for clubs. UEFA's plans to add more teams to the current Champions League format which in turns leads to more games being played. Apart from the obvious financial interests, one of the reasons for the proposed formation of the European Super League was because it would mean less matches to play for the clubs involved. A study published by the British Journal Of Sports Medicine in 2021 found that muscle injuries, which are the cause of many players missing games, have remained constant throughout the last 20 years. Most clubs will be reluctant to use injuries as an excuse for their possible failures throughout a season, but it is clear multiple injuries can hinder a clubs chance of success. (Photo by Pro Shots/Sipa USA)  Modern players are more than capable of playing at a high intensity level, but not without proper rest in between. The frequency of games both at club and international level must be decreased in order to help players prolong their careers. Some players in recent years have retired from international football in order to prolong their club careers. Jamie Vardy being among the bigger names to do so. The technology and facilities that clubs have at their disposal are the best when it comes to ensuring players can improve themselves physically and work towards a quick recovery. This has certainly had a hand in the injury rate decreasing compared to twenty years ago, but more and more injuries can still be prevented. Before Denmark's game with Finland, Christian Eriksen was in good health and received all the relative tests as any player would before a game which were normal. There is no evidence to link his collapse to the amount of football he played over the last year, but this does not mean it should not be taken into consideration when looking after the wellbeing of players. The blame should not be placed on clubs as coaches will always do what is in the best interest of their players. Organisations within football must prioritise the health of footballers over continuing to line their pockets. It is a naive idea to think that FIFA, UEFA and other footballing organisations will halt plans to continue to add more games to tournaments, but continuing to do so will only further the injury crisis that seems to fall upon a large number of sides across Europe every season. Protecting the health of players is imperative in order to also protect the game.