Fabrizio Tencone: “Too many games, certain increase in risk risk”

Do you play too much? It is the question of one million dollars to which all in recent years – players, coaches, doctors, commentators – have tried to answer. In the year of Club World Cup At 32 teams, absolute novelty in the calendar, which will be held in the United States, this question assumes even more value thinking about the abnormal minutages that some players have already put together in the early May. An example above all: between 2023 and 2024 Julian Alvarez had put together 75 appearances between Manchester City and Argentina, and this year – spent at Atletico Madrid – he is already approaching 60, and considering that Simeone’s team will also play the World Cup For the Argentine, another physically demanding vintage is expected. He as well Koundèfull -back by Barcelona that the 60 appearances has already overcome them, but there are many those who will arrive in the United States with many – too many – games in the legs, as explained by the Dr. Fabrizio Tenconespecialist in Sports Medicine, director of the Isokinetic Center of Turin and ex Juventus doctor from 1995 to 2016which will participate in the XXXII International Congress of Football Medicine by the Isokinetic Medical Group, scheduled in Madrid on 3, 4 and 5 May, dedicated precisely to the recovery and the Prevention of accidents and the excessive minutage of the players: “This year I will participate as a moderator of one of the most important sessions on Muscle injuries of the flexors: The goal is to obtain a session in which even the youngest can learn and bring home a wealth of novelty and confirmations that can be used in their work “.

The Club World Cup approaches after a very long season, how much does the risk of accidents increase?
“The risk is certain”.

Why?
“We know that the number and frequency of accidents are linked to exposure to risk: basic, The more you play the higher the number of accidents. The risk increases because the minutes dedicated to training and above all to the games increase: above all: In football we hurt about 4-5 times more in the game than in training. In the end, playing so much, it becomes a problem. ”

What are the most frequent accidents caused by too many games?
“Certainly the muscle ones. Wanting to make a sort of ranking, In the first 5 places there are all 4 muscle injuries of the leg: flexors, quadriceps, calf and adductors. They are the most frequent together with the ankle sprain. The most serious injury, however, is that of the anterior cruciate ligament whose cases are progressive increase (20 breaks this year only in Serie A, well beyond average, editor’s note) and we will also discuss it during the Madrid conference, where we will have available Scientific data from UEFA and FIFA And we will try to obtain answers both from the point of view of prevention and the care of accidents. The medical-sports family will therefore meet to confront each other on the most important issues, and muscle accidents are certainly among them “.

How can teams work to prevent possible injuries?
“I don’t enter the technical merit, but I imagine that the teams on the field at the Club World Cup will try to do turnoveralso because we know for sure that when the second game comes between The 3 and 4 days after the first meeting The risk of muscle accidents increases considerably compared to when there is a distance of at least 5 days between the two matches. This is the case it may seem a trivial thing, but it was scientifically demonstrated. In addition, more complex climatic conditions such as those that players will find in the United States make it more difficult both the performance and the recovery. Some athletic preparers could devote the time ranging from the end of the championships at the beginning of the World Cup at the ‘unloading’, therefore avoid overloading the players and devoting themselves to recovering the effort rather than performance. We must study the situation of athletes well During the preparation phase to the World Cup: the solution will above all be customized the preparation or maintenance of the performance based on the state of form and the minutage acquired “.

The maintenance of the performance, however, after 50-60 games, however, is risky?
“Of course, a end of the season is certainly more tired. The number of minutes in which you are on the field between training and games is increasingly high, and therefore the risk of joint and muscle problems consequently increases “.

Can such a heavy load of games be heard in the future? We think of the case of Pedri, who after playing 73 games in the 2020-21 season had years full of accidents, before returning to the best.
“If the player hasn’t really had injuries, then there is no risk. In reality, however, The athlete can have ailments during the season which, although not considered real accidents, can still compromise some muscle or joint areas. It can be a question of previous ‘stress’ or a problem that has been formed but not developed. However, if a player really really carries anything behind.

Will you talk about these themes also in Madrid?
“In Madrid there will be many doctors of many Italian and foreign teams, including those of the national teams of Argentina and Brazilfor which both those who follow the teams from a medical point of view and those who are interested in recovering accidents are an appointment to share their experiences and above all share science. You have to be prepared to deal with this theme and never approximate, otherwise the accidents will never decrease“.