Football tournaments in Asia and especially in Africa, which are held in the high season, irritate club managers. However, the World Cup in November and December is something completely new and incomprehensible. We are in for a busy and strange season, with conflicts between clubs and national teams certain to escalate, and the Qatari experiment is unlikely to be looked upon favourably. It may be the first and last such experience, all the more interesting to relive and endure.
In the traditional season, the World Cup is held in June and July. The players complete their club season, have a mini-training camp with the national teams and start a new adventure. Football players of the top clubs and top teams have to stay at their best from April to July: first the decisive matches of the leagues and European Cups, then the preparation break and the great fast-flowing tournament. Which team will triumph at the Mundial is the topic of many conversations. Check the World Cup 2022 odds at Bwin if you are one of those who typically have a hard time choosing the perfect team to win.
At the end of the club season, it is impossible to play a half reserve squad because of the importance of the matches. The World Cup is now preceded by September and October when clubs are just gaining momentum, and the crucial battles are still far away. There is no doubt that players preparing for the 2022 World Cup matches will consciously or subconsciously be concerned about not missing a major tournament due to injury. This issue will occupy the players’ minds, inevitably driving club football in August, September and October.
Approximately 80%-85% of the 832 players who will be declared (26 players in each of the 32 national teams) for the World Cup in Qatar are already known. Those 130–150 spots will be filled by 200–250 players, who will have even more stress in the months leading up to the 2022 World Cup because they will have to prove themselves and make a space in the squad without any injury.
The autumn club football season will be contrasting because of the reinsured stars and the desperate ones trying to get on the train’s last car heading to Qatar. At the same time, this mood difference may also affect the World Cup matches. Not everyone can switch modes with the click of a button, so Qatar is a chance for the bold and surprising contenders to shine, while not all stars can get out of energy-saving and injury-protection mode. We may get some unexpected heroes in the 2022 World Cup.
The different interests of clubs and national teams will inevitably collide and generate a conflict. Players will want to take part in the World Cup at any cost, and the medical staff of the national teams will insist that the club medical services limit players’ participation in matches and training in case of the slightest doubt. The World Cup in the middle of the season creates fertile ground for players to put personal interests above those of their clubs. There will be persuasion, arguments, fighting and simulated injuries.
The climatic factor will also have an impact: the participants of the World Cup will have to change many time zones twice in one month and undergo acclimatization. The untimely football festival will entail unpleasant consequences that cannot be prevented. The 2022 World Cup is looming to tear the regular football season in two and bring a lot of problems. Let’s hope the benefits of national soccer in Qatar outweigh the negative aspects.
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