Effects of Qatar 2022 World Cup on Footballers’ Health

Of course, the reason for the 45-day break from the leagues 2022 World Cup, aka ‘the biggest organization in football’. But holding a World Cup in the winter was something we had never experienced before.

The fact that this tournament will take place in Qatar has already happened since the host country was announced. discussed in many ways. Some were against the organization of the tournament in Qatar from the very beginning and were not satisfied even if the matches went well, while others saw this as an unusually positive difference. But today we know that this World Cup is not much talked about, a different face we will consider.

In fact, due to the extreme heat in Qatar during the summer months, it may sound logical to play the matches in November and December. However…

The result of this and which has not been covered much there is a problem: How will the players who competed in the World Cup keep up with the intense league tempo when they return to their club teams tired after the tournament? Another question waiting to be answered is how long will the players who are not in the tournament be able to maintain their form during the 45-day break?

Teams have experienced this problem before: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, leagues were suspended in most countries, and football could not be played for a long time.

At that time, when the effects of the coronavirus were felt the most and we were all confined to our homes, in many countries leagues were abandoned. for example Super LeagueWithin the scope of the coronavirus measures in our country in the 2019-2020 season, the league was suspended on March 16 and no matches could be played until June 12. This 87-day break affected the teams badly in the league, which continued from where it left off with June 12, many teams after the league restarted. away from previous forms had an image. While the football players are trying to catch up with their old tempo again, disability faced health problems such as

The break for the World Cup is 45 days…

Of course, this break is shorter than the break for the pandemic. On the other hand, players going to the tournament will continue to play matches. But those who play will turn tired; Those who do not play will lose their match tempo. Well, after we started the leagues, just like after the pandemic break, we are far from their old form and more frequent injuries Are we going to watch a football?

These questions were answered by Acıbadem Hospital Orthopedics and Traumatology Department. Associate Professor Safa Gursoy We will look for an answer. Gürsoy, who has been working on sports and knee injuries for a long time, during his time in America Doctor of the Chicago Bulls, one of the NBA (National Basketball Association) teams also took charge.

One of the concerns after the 2022 World Cup was awarded to Qatar was the temperature.

Temperature is one of the conditions that negatively affect the health of athletes. Even though the World Cup is held in November – December, these matches have a high tempo. at high temperatures being played. In fact, Qatar had installed air conditioning systems in 8 stadiums where the matches will be played as part of the tournament preparations. Associate Professor Safa Gürsoy said that the important thing at this point is where the players will be at the place where the competition will take place. adaptation emphasizes that:

In addition to all other standards, the air temperature is above 30 degrees and the humidity is over 60%. a factor that increases fatigue creates. On the other hand, if the cardiovascular and general metabolic status of the athlete is in place, no problem is expected in adaptation or tolerance to this situation. If the place where the competitions will take place is above these limits, the current approach ensures that the adaptation is increased by going to this location before the tournament, ideally between 6-10 days. This practice is routinely done by athletes before hot weather tournaments, such as the Australian Open in tennis.

The fact that the World Cup was held in the winter months due to the heat also caused the leagues to be suspended. Leagues will be played on a tighter schedule after the tournament.

Even in the Premier League weekday matches we will watch. So footballers World Cup return intense match pace waiting. According to Professor Kaan, this intense match tempo is an element that can bring injuries:

“Scientific studies have roughly data on how much a football player should rest and how often he should play a match. However, in this frequent calendar, especially considering that star players miss a lot of matches is a luxury, it is not possible to progress in the light of these data. There is a direct correlation between the time an athlete stays in the game and the risk of injury.. The frequency of injuries can be reduced by maximizing the rest intervals and adopting the professional life of the athlete. In determining the risk of injury, the time taken in the matches and the frequency of the matches are the most important criteria. In addition, pre-match parameters such as muscle mass and elasticity of the athlete can be monitored and predictions can be made in terms of injury risk. However, in order to make these predictions, it is necessary to know the athlete and to follow up for a long time.

At this point, Gürsoy conveys his experiences during the Chicago Bulls era as follows:

“In the NBA, training programs and nutrition programs are implemented in a highly personalized way. In addition, the optimal match duration that an athlete can take in case of injury is stated in the doctor’s reports. Follow-up continues with routine pre-season and in-season performance tests. The results are reported strictly and the recommendations are generally not deviated from. Similar processes are being implemented in our country in an up-to-date and widespread manner.

We talked about the players who competed in the cup, but there are also players who did not take part in the tournament. While they were in full form in the league, a 45-day break was made…

Let us remind you again that after the break given to the league due to the pandemic in the 2019-20 season, the players have problems such as loss of form or injury when returning to the matches. Associate Professor Gürsoy tells us that the 45-day break is enough time to be turned into an opportunity to prepare for the league again. We can think of this break just like pre-season summer camps. well correct planning and training program The teams that implement it will have an advantage, while the others will experience difficulties. Already in our country, many Super League teams organized friendly matches for this period.

FIFA is also aware of all these risks that may arise in the World Cup, because it pays the clubs for the players who compete in their national teams.

In a decision taken in 2012, FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) stated that the football players sent by the clubs to the national teams are against the risk of injury. Club Protection Program had created. In the statement made by FIFA before the 2022 World Cup, it was stated that the football players playing in the World Cup will be paid 10 thousand dollars to the clubs for each day they spend here. Of course, let us remind you that this application is not only specific to the tournament in Qatar.

Let’s leave the floor to Kaan Hoca. Was it the right decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar in November and December, with the leagues suspended, from the perspective of a doctor who specializes in athlete health?

”It is not necessary to play the matches above certain degrees. negative effects on athletes However, the effect can be minimized with the right training program. It has sufficient technological equipment to provide sufficient physical environment for athletes in such large organizations. More like the Australian Open, the US Open, which can reach 40-45 degrees and a match can last for 3 hours. in harsh conditions Even athletes can play without any problems. The key point here is the athlete’s physiological readiness and the creation of a training program suitable for the conditions.

We discussed how the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar could affect the health of athletes.

Yes, science is now at a very important point in athlete health. And the leagues are suspended, and then match pace will increase During this period, training programs should be carefully planned and implemented. When we look at it from a different perspective, it is clear that the organization’s arrangement in this period may pose a risk for the health of the athletes. Because every football player or club not able to handle these levels.

In fact, the sentence that best sums up today’s football in my opinion and that I love to use is: ‘Football, which used to be on the land, is now on the stock market’. Industrialized football pushes football players to play more matches. Behind this, the football market economic expectations and image ambitions of football stakeholders lies. The issue we are discussing today is just one of the negative aspects of the tournament in Qatar. Well, what do you think is right to take place or to make it happen in Qatar, where we can hardly say that this giant organization even has a football culture, the decision is yours. However Before you decide, I suggest you take a look at these contents:

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