There is something illogical about international friendlies, stretching a little further beyond simple annoyance.
Defending World Champions Spain are in South Africa for a friendly, shipping off many of their key names for a journey half way across the globe that benefits very few. If it isn’t injuries picked up directly from matches, it’s the strain on the body accumulated from meaningless trips. From a playing perspective, is there any reason Spain needed to make the trip onto another continent over this two-week period?
Tottenham and Real Madrid have thus far come off the worst from this latest round of international football. The Spaniards will now be without Sami Khedira after he picked up a season-ending injury in a friendly against Italy, and Spurs may be without Christian Eriksen for up to three months.
For Germany, the loss of Khedira is obvious. For Madrid it borders on the infuriating. But Tottenham are looking to take action against FIFA over Eriksen’s injury.
There is a constant war between clubs and countries over the use of players, each with their own set of targets and therefore a mentality to look out for their own backs first and foremost. But while Germany may look to the World Cup next year and the likelihood of being without one of their important players, Real Madrid are having to make immediate arrangements to cater for the loss of Khedira. There may be an insincere apology from the German Football Federation – as mentioned, each are out to cover their own backs – but there is nothing tangible that will help to compensate for the loss of a key player in the middle of November.
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The problem is there is too much football. Firstly, there is little need for a round of international friendlies at this time, even if some nations are competing in playoffs for the World Cup. Haven’t those who have qualified earned the right to take a breather at this stage?
Of course there is the issue of international coaches wanting time with their squads, which is understandable. But that side of the argument only forces one to ask the bigger question yet again – why is there so much football?
There is never a sustained break in the football calendar. After next summer’s World Cup, those who featured will be given time off but at the expense of losing out on early preseason training with their clubs. It’s an endless, relentless strain on players, and as with the case of Spain’s trip to South Africa, it only increases the likelihood of long-term injury – a problem for both club and country.
The frustration from clubs such as Tottenham and Real Madrid is that they prepare for the coming season with player purchases and the subsequent paying of wages. With injuries such as these, there is no return on their investments. And while FIFA may eventually find themselves in a position where they compensate Tottenham, there isn’t a history of this happening. It could also cause further problems, with other clubs believing themselves to be owed some form of compensation for injuries that took place in the past. Do FIFA really want to go down that path?
The German national team is currently a topic of debate. Joachim Loew has chosen to rest a number of important players ahead of the friendly against England, including Philip Lahm and Manuel Neuer – two players from one of the deepest squads in Europe, Bayern Munich. In their places comes Roman Weidenfeller, Marcel Schmelzer and the retaining of Marco Reus – three players from a Dortmund side whose resources are not equal to that of Bayern.
Again, it’s a friendly. England themselves may feel insulted, but honestly the feelings of an opposition nation shouldn’t really be a concern for an international coach. It’s highly unlikely that Jurgen Klopp will be compensated if one of his key players picks up a lengthy injury while on international duty.
The most obvious means of tackling this problem for clubs is to look to the transfer market, though that in itself is an irony due to UEFA’s desire to curb spending. Yet what makes the whole thing even more farcical is that these friendlies are predominantly put in place for the purpose of cashing in.
Should international teams be held responsible for player injuries?
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