Sports researcher at the University of Jena (Germany), Joel mason closely follows the fitness of soccer players. On leaving the first confinement, he set up an injury observatory for the Bundesliga, the German championship. And keep a close eye on the development of the current season.
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Many coaches and football players are complaining about the increase in matches in this season hit by Covid-19. When can this become dangerous for the health of athletes?
Playing multiple games a week increases the risk of muscle injury in football, regardless of how long it takes to pre-season. This is nothing new. On the other hand, the circumstances of the year 2020 are. In many leagues in Europe, there is a substantial number of injuries at this stage of the season, more significant than last year at the same time. Many teams report an increase in injuries, and one can easily relate that to the increase in encounters. The tight schedule is certainly one of the main reasons.
Are all sports concerned?
A dense schedule generating an increased risk of injury is not unique to football. Preliminary data from the Australian football championship [AFL], which just ended, show a huge increase in hamstring injuries compared to previous seasons. Similar to hockey and other team sports, which show a link between frequency of matches and injuries. Afterwards, because of the sums of its television rights, football undoubtedly has more pressure to continue its season with a high frequency of matches.
Regardless of this season with a compressed schedule, what is the ideal number of games that a player should play?
Defining a precise number of matches is difficult, the risk of injury being unique to each player, and linked to their age, injury history and form. The right number of matches for one player might be too high for another. Generally speaking, extended periods with several games per week is too much. Players need forty-eight to seventy-two hours to physiologically recover from a game. This recovery is also more complicated when there are long trips, as in the European Cup.
The teams who played at the end of the Football Champions League in August blame the lack of preparation for the season which then started. How does this affect injuries?
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