So here we go again. It’s that time of the year when instead of getting your fantasy team ready for some Premier League action in the weekend, you’re forced to be a couch potato and tolerate a three-hour movie ‘alone’- because football is your life, remember? - which gives you a general feeling of dissatisfaction ending in a very specific want to hurl an abuse or two at FIFA.
If you do not prefer that, you probably end up awkwardly socialising at a pub with one side of your brain thinking how your team will line up next week. Yes, folks, it’s time for the schedule-ruiner ‘cause the international break is here.
The international break is the most unloved and ignored football event there is. In truth, nobody really cares about it. With just three matches into the season and after a very exciting transfer deadline day, every fan would want their teams to get going and put in some wins behind them. However, they are restricted in trying to stream the random mickey mouse friendly where England play a certain Gibraltar or San Marino (Not that they deserve any better).
But why do we hate these mid-season interruptions so much? There is, of course, a couple of World Cup or Continental qualifying games up for grabs, but they never really succeed in living up to the thrill offered by a certain El Clasico or a Merseyside Derby, or even an Arsenal away trip to Stoke, for that matter.
There are two types of fans around the world. Those who hate international breaks, and those who really hate international breaks. We’re the latter and we try to explain why :
#1 The injuries
The greatest curse of having mid-season friendlies are the injuries players sustain while on national duty. Imagine Shkodran Mustafi, who’s been Arsenal’s marquee signing of the summer, getting injured in a certain friendly against Finland leaving the Gunners fans going nuts over how he may not be available for their next match. Now stop imagining because that’s already happened a few days ago and might actually miss their clash against Southampton.
Managers and fans hold their breath during international breaks hoping that their most important players don’t pick up injuries which seem to occur too often putting into question the need for risking players in these friendlies.
Agreed, that one cannot feel more proud than representing one’s nation, but clubs who pay astronomical wages for them to play week in and week out simply do not want to lose someone injured on national duty. After all, we’re more loyal to our clubs, aren’t we? And that is why we hate international friendlies so much.
#2 The conflict between club and country
There cannot be anything more frustrating that having to support players you don’t like. During the international breaks, you’re forced to cheer for a certain player you hate (read Diego Costa) just because you support a country (read Spain).
These international matches cause a tremendous amount of conflict in the minds of football fans. The very players we root for during the international matches are the ones we despise for the rest of the year, cheering at every foul they make or every card they accumulate.
And that’s not all. It often happens that the national team one supports plays a total opposite style of football to what you’re club’s philosophy is. There always comes the conflict of club versus country, and more often than not, club wins and, that too, by a fair margin.
#3 The rhythm is broken
One of the worst results of the international matches midseason is the break in rhythm one’s team suffers post-break. We are just three matches into the new season when FIFA decides that international matches need to be promoted leaving a feeling of disgust among fans and managers alike.
There is no denying the importance rhythm plays in the success of a team. Often, it makes or breaks a club’s season. A team which had been in a fine run of form for some weeks often finds itself facing a defeat the very first match after the break, often against weaker opponents. However, there’s another side of the coin which sees a poor run of form being broken with a resounding victory over tough opponents.
Club managers have often stressed that they do not prefer midseason breaks which see the players spend time without the team which might hamper the confidence of a player, especially if he returns on the back of defeats while on national duty.
Rhythm plays a long way in achieving league glory, and who’d want to give that up for baseless friendlies? No one.
#4 The quality of international matches
We all need to agree that the games which are played in the international break rank nowhere close to what is offered in the top leagues in Europe. Germany playing Finland surely doesn’t bring about the same level of excitement or enthusiasm of perhaps a Manchester Derby. Though there is the occasional big match. They are few and far between.
The quality of football in these matches is also not up to the standard. Most of the times, players themselves are cautious as to not pick up an injury. Defenders do not go into all-out tackles and there’s lethargy all around the field.
Football fans, too, face a similar situation. While not watching a league match of your club from minute one to ninety is almost considered sacrilege, even the most die-hard football fan takes his own sweet time in picking up a drink from the fridge, and doing the occasional visit to Facebook and Twitter while an international friendly is still in progress.
An international friendly simply doesn’t offer enough to keep us rooted to our seats and we are not sure if it ever will.
#5 Fixture pile up
What one thing mid-season international breaks do masterfully is pile up matches towards the end. It not only takes domestic action from us, the football fans, but causes a headache to managers who face a ridiculous number of matches to cope with during Christmas.
With teams playing as many as seven matches in two weeks during Christmas, takes a toll on the bodies of players who are susceptible to picking up injuries or burning themselves out for the second half of the season.
One solution FIFA can adopt is to open a window twice a year to conduct the friendlies and qualifying matches which would not only spare clubs from risking their players but would also enable national team managers to make their team gel in a relatively longer period than of a week they presently do. It would also reduce the unnecessary piling up of matches, and at the same time, keep players and fans excited for a run of international matches.
