Since his debut in LaLiga, Gavi had not suffered a single injury with Barcelona. Since August 29, 2021, under the orders of Ronald Koeman against Getafe, the young midfielder had only missed two games with the Blaugrana due to covid. In fact, under the command of Xavi Hernández, this season he had already played 1,172 minutes between the League and the Champions League, 86.5% of the total.. With the Spanish team, he was also a starter in the six qualifying days for the Euro Cup, where he was only absent for 67 minutes.. At the age of 19, in full physical splendor, the Sevillian was not only experiencing an amazing moment of form, but he seemed like an indestructible footballer, immune to any contingency.. However, this Sunday, Gavi broke badly on the José Zorrilla grass. Yesterday's tests confirmed a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, with damage to the meniscus.. An illness that will keep him out of competition for eight months. That is to say: goodbye to 27 games with Barça and goodbye to the Euro Cup and the Olympic Games with Spain.

The Gavi case is the latest episode in the extensive list of misfortunes that the national team break has left behind.. A plague that stirs up, like every year, the debate on the health of footballers and in the face of which three options are open: reduce the load of matches, accept injuries as something inherent or undertake an ambitious reform of the business model.. In search of answers, this newspaper has contacted top-level professionals, although, given the slippery nature of the matter, none wanted to reveal their identity.

«International players cannot enjoy the most precious asset: their time and rest. “They are prisoners of an increasingly overloaded calendar, where injuries are the consequence and the calendar is one of the main causes,” says the physiotherapist of a Madrid First Division club.. The development of his approach outlines a perspective perhaps little known to the general public.. «For them it is always difficult to find moments of oxygen. On a mental level, they can live close to burnout, that is, emotional exhaustion.. And at a physiological and biological level they live continuously exposed to stress, something unsustainable in the long term,” he maintains.

“Less responsiveness”

During the last two decades, top-level football has evolved in a worrying way. This is not a mere speculative assessment, but rather a fact scientifically verified by UEFA itself.. Since 2001, the highest European body has been developing a research project, under the acronym ECIS, among 3,909 footballers from 54 clubs to better understand the phenomenon of injuries.. According to this study, led by Swede Jan Ekstrand, the incidence of thigh problems had increased from 12% in 2002 to 24% in 2022.. In the same proportion, the sick leave periods linked to these muscular problems had increased from 10% to 20%.

«No one can question the evidence between the increase in workload and the percentage of injuries. But we should not limit ourselves only to muscle overloads or tears.. There is a high percentage of traumatic injuries,” a renowned specialist tells EL MUNDO.. «Increased activity and fatigue not only cause more trauma, but also reduce the ability to respond. That is, if you turn your knee in a strange way while very fatigued, you have less ability to defend yourself from that possible injury,” he adds from his clinic, recognized since 2013 as a FIFA Center.

According to data from FIFPro, the majority union of footballers, between July 2022 and April 2023, more than 3,000 injuries were recorded in the five best European leagues (Premier, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1). An average of 30 per year for each team. 64% of them affected soft tissues, such as muscles, tendons and ligaments. LaLiga, with 487, was the least affected, far behind the Premier (686).

There must be direct communication between clubs and federations. Only in this way can we protect the footballer

Even more interesting is the comparison that FIFPro establishes between generations. One of the most illustrative examples is that of Jude Bellingham. Before turning 20, he played 14,445 minutes at the highest level, compared to 9,187 for Michael Owen or 10,989 for Wayne Rooney, other English stars of early explosion.. The differences in workload were also abysmal in other case studies. For example, Kylian Mbappé participated 37% more than Thierry Henry at the same age and Pedri, 20% more than Xavi Hernández.

And if we bring the numbers closer to the immediate present, few have gone as far as Raphael Varane, who last February, at just 29 years old, announced his retirement from the French national team.. According to the specialized platform Football Benchmark, the Manchester United centre-back had completed, between 2018 and 2023, almost 230,000 km during 324 hours of flight.. Throughout these five campaigns, only in 2019 and 2022 was he able to enjoy four weeks of summer vacation. And no year did he rest the recommended two in the middle of the course.

In a similar sphere, although not so extreme, it is worth remembering that Vinicius, victim on Thursday of another relapse in his left thigh, played 16 consecutive games last fall. Between August 2022 and May 2023, he participated in 59 matches in nine different competitions, 75% of them without the mandatory five-day rest.

«The daily bread in grassroots football»

The relapse of the '7', who with all his good faith announced that he would “give everything” to play today against Argentina, must be explained by the emergencies, both those imposed and those assumed by himself.. A wild race to which the stars became accustomed from their early adolescence. «Of course this is the daily bread in grassroots football. Parents are the first to not ask you how their child is doing, but rather when they can play again.. So many have already assumed, from a very young age, this insane modus operandi,” says a senior youth manager, who combines his activity with teaching work at the European University.

The moment of Camavinga's injury, after a kick from Dembélé. AFP

As for the economic consequences, the ones that worry the clubs the most, the example of Liverpool is enough, where 19 players were absent at least one day of the last Premier League for medical reasons.. After being eliminated from the Champions League seven years later, the Anfield club saw more than 65% of its income from its participation in European competitions disappear.. Not to mention the financial disaster caused by the absence of Thiago Alcántara – with an annual salary of 12 million euros – during 60% of the matches or Diogo Jota – with a salary of 8.5 million – during 49%..

What to do then, faced with such a panorama? A professional in the field, with 13 years of experience in another Madrid Primera club, offers his point of view. «I understand that it is not an easy task, because the player always wants to compete, but recent cases show that there must be direct communication between clubs, which are the ones that handle first-hand information, and federations for the common good.. Only with this consonance can we protect the footballer.”.

While waiting for this alignment of interests, the short and medium term future looks rather bleak.. Without going any further, the new format of the Champions League, which in 2024 will go from 32 to 36 participants, will require 17 games for the finalists, four more than now.. Likewise, FIFA's plans for its Club World Cup include expanding the format from seven to 32 participants, with a group stage and a maximum of seven days.. Its inclusion, between June and July, will mean another twist for exhausted athletes. In this way, the 80 games of the 2021-22 campaign would give way to 89 in 2024-25, with a jibarized preseason, increasingly further away from the four weeks recommended by specialists.

The time has come to follow an example and follow in the footsteps of the NBA, NFL and NHL

«We are aware that there are other types of needs of the clubs. These are risks that are assumed, because they surround the football business.. However, from our point of view, based on excellence, we resist talking about what should be done and prefer to focus on prevention policies,” reveals the doctor in contact with this newspaper..

The pressure, of course, ends up emerging sooner or later. According to a FUTPro survey, carried out shortly after the World Cup in Qatar, 20% of international players confessed to feeling more mental fatigue than in other years around the same time.. And 53% of them admitted that they were on sick leave or at serious risk of ending up in the infirmary.. “I always recommend the need for psychological work, carried out by the club or through a professional hired by the player, to identify their context and manage stress situations”. In light of these statements, perhaps it is better to understand that Saturday when Ousmane Dembéle broke down during his debut with Barça at the Coliseum.. Or that afternoon in September 2013, when Gareth Bale could not appear in front of the Bernabéu, due to overload during the warm-up.

It seems, then, that the time for change has arrived.. This is what the physiotherapist consulted by this newspaper considers, who sends a message of hope.. «In other sports, the bubble already burst decades ago. They fought for better calendars and Christmas holidays. Perhaps now is the opportunity for the players to return to their seats at the decision-making table.. Because they are, without a doubt, the main protagonists of the show. “The time has come to follow an example and follow in the footsteps of the NBA, NFL and NHL, which in this sense are years ahead of us.”

A deep sigh of relief passed from Turin to Catania. Italy will be in the European Championship in Germany without having to go through a stressful play-off. It was already strange to see the current champions suffering in a group in which England took off, but where they had a hard time getting rid of Ukraine, Malta and North Macedonia, the ogre that left them without the World Cup in Qatar in the play-offs.. That is the burden that the Italians carry, who despite their four World Cups, have seen the last two on television. Nothing like this has happened to them since 1958.. Also missing the European event would have been a catastrophe.

Ukraine took the field with the players wrapped in their national flag and the stands of the BayArena in Leverkussen surrendered. Being in the Euro is his contribution to alleviating the pain of his people at war. He gave Italy the first scare with a powerful shot from Tsygankov that Donnarumma caught. Enough to remind the Azzurri where they were and what was at stake.. Chiesa woke up to become the nightmare of a defense that was trying to be serious and resist. He scored an assist from Zaniolo from the far post but the ball went over the crossbar.. Spalletti's team could not maintain its harassment because every Ukrainian robbery created an opportunity. Donnarumma's hand had to appear to deflect Sudakov's blow. The duel was back and forth, although if the game passed through Chiesa it became electrified. Barella tried from the front and goalkeeper Trubin prevented Di Marco from scoring in a play linked, of course, by Chiesa.

The passage through the locker room encouraged the Ukrainians, who shook off their dominance and, with little to lose, launched themselves. At close range, Donnarumma once again saved the error of his defense that Mudryck was about to take advantage of.. The Slavs even asked Gil Manzano for a penalty in the 90th minute, but Italy held on.

They breathed, as did the Czech Republic with their 3-0 victory against Moldova that puts them directly into the Euro, where Jan Oblak's Slovenia will also be after winning 2-1 against Kazakhstan.

Croatia's last bullet

Croatia wants the remaining direct spot and they will play today against Armenia. Modric's team needs to maintain the two points advantage it has over Wales, which closes this classification by hosting Turkey, with the ticket to Germany in its pocket.

The homework has already been done by 19 teams that will join the host and await Croatia or Wales. They are Spain, Scotland, France, the Netherlands, England, Turkey, Albania, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Denmark, Romania, Switzerland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy and the Czech Republic.. It will take an extra effort for three others to reach the top European competition.

They will have to do it via playoff with a playoff that will take place between March 21 and 26. In this Thursday's draw, twelve teams will be divided into three groups of four teams that will compete in two semifinals and a final. The three winners will complete the 24 qualifiers. Some with pedigree such as Poland or Greece will have to go through this ordeal, as well as Georgia, Bosnia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Finland, Luxembourg, Iceland, Estonia, Ukraine and Wales or Croatia.

A tennis player can complete a better season who has been one match away from squaring the Grand Slam in the year in which he surpassed Rafael Nadal and settled with a total of 24 majors, won his seventh Masters Cup, undoing the equality that remained at the top with Roger Federer, rose to 40 titles in the Masters 1000 with his victories in Cincinnati and Paris-Bercy, closed his eighth year as world number 1 and this Monday became the first tennis player to reach the 400 weeks on the ATP roof?

Novak Djokovic can still add the Davis Cup, whose final phase begins this Tuesday at the Martín Carpena Pavilion in Malaga, to such a formidable harvest. Already champion of the tournament at the head of Serbia in 2010, he decided months ago that this competition would be a priority, surely because, at 36 years old, and being a 2024 Olympian, there will be few opportunities left for him to fully commit himself to this collective task again. .

Serbia will debut against Great Britain this Thursday in the quarterfinals and is at the bottom of the table, so it would have as its rival the winner of the match between Italy and Holland. At the top, Canada will face Finland this Tuesday and the Czech Republic will face Australia this Wednesday. Djokovic will lead a team that is completed by Laslo Djere, 33rd, Dusan Lajovic, 46th, Miomor Kecmanovic, 55th, and Hamad Medjedovic, 111th.

Viktor Troicki, with whom he shared his time as a player, is the captain of a group where no decision is made without Djokovic's approval, which he takes and puts in when choosing the man who will line up at each intersection as number two.

Great Britain, with Cameron Norrie, 18th, and Jack Draper, as well as Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski, 7th and 9th in the doubles specialty, and Italy, with Jannik Sinner, 4th and recent finalist in Turin, and Lorenzo Musetti, 27th, They happen to be the two most powerful teams globally in this Davis Cup. Canada, without Denis Shapovalov and with Felix Auger-Aliassime mired in a deep crisis, will have a very difficult time retaining the title.

Squaring the circle

Rod Laver, double winner of the four majors in the same season, Donald Budge and Fred Perry, who signed him only once, closed incomparable courses to date. Beyond them, it is difficult to find achievements analogous to those of Djokovic in the same year. You need to look in your own mirror.

In 2015 he won a total of 11 titles, finished number 1, was also one match away from winning the Grand Slam and closed with victory at the ATP Finals. In 2011 (with 10 tournaments won and closing at the zenith) and 2021 (the year in which Daniil Medvedev deprived him of eternal glory in New York) he also won a hat trick in the majors and finished with the best number, but he did not raise his head in the last port.

«The year 2015 was one of the best, probably the best I have ever had, with 19 consecutive finals in all tournaments and three of the four Grand Slams. I had a very good 18 months between that year and the middle of 2016,” he said in Turin after winning the final against Sinner.. «Moments in time are different for me. I don't try to play like I did ten years ago. I have to choose the tournaments and the periods of the year where I can do best. “It's hard to compare.”

A look at his two great rivals in their best exercises. Nadal won Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open in 2010, a total of seven titles, and finished No. 1. He did not win the Masters Cup or the Davis Cup. Federer was one match away from winning the four majors in 2006 and 2007, years in which he won the Masters Cup and finished at number 1, and he also won the big three in 2004, also finishing at the top of the ranking.

The Court of Instruction number one of Barcelona has ordered to investigate, at the request of the Civil Guard, the alibi publicly used by the president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, to justify why the payments to José María Enríquez Negreira exponentially increased during his first period in front of the club.

The Armed Institute has presented a new report to the judge investigating the so-called 'Negreira case' in which it demands the need to verify the argument that Laporta gave in his press conference last April to defend that Barça triggered the payments to the former number two of the referees for alleged scouting work. That is, obtaining information from other teams and the referees who were going to direct the Barça club's matches.

The Judicial Police recalls that Negreira's turnover with Barça, which amounted to around 8 million euros in two decades, “increased from 2010”. A situation that, he adds, “was qualified by the current president of the sports entity, Joan Laporta, in the public appearance in which he said that there was more scouting work” since “that year the Confederations Cup was held”. The Civil Guard adds that the increase in Negreira's billing that Laporta approved has already been certified by the Tax Agency, which unsuccessfully requested the contracts that supported said relationship.

The investigators emphasize that Barça has answered on repeated occasions that no contract was ever formalized with Negreira or with the corporate network that he has managed with his son and that, therefore, it is necessary to obtain “additional information” about these operations..

In this way, he has asked Judge Joaquín Aguirre to instruct FC Barcelona to make available to the court the documentation in his possession in relation to any company or employee that has performed scouting services for the club in recent years.. Included in the period in which Negreira was no longer contracting with Barça, that is, from 2018 when he stopped being vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA). All of this with the aim of analyzing whether the services Laporta alluded to are really true or simply a false excuse to camouflage the payments to the historic referee leader.

But the Civil Guard has also requested, and the judge has just agreed, that the Barça club identify all the invoices paid to the Negreira family between 2003 and 2018, as well as which senior club officials authorized said payments.. Laporta was accused by the judge but the Prosecutor's Office has appealed that decision by maintaining that the payments of his first stage at the head of the entity are prescribed..

The judicial investigation is currently continuing against the last presidents of the club for the crimes of sports corruption, disloyal administration, document falsification, money laundering or bribery.

Barça has confirmed the worst omens about Gavi. The midfielder, who was injured while attempting a control in Spain-Georgia and had to leave the field in tears and clearly limping, suffers a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee as well as an injury associated with the meniscus, according to The Barcelona entity has made public through a statement.

The footballer, a key piece in Xavi's schemes, will be out for around eight months, meaning he will miss the remainder of this season and will not be able to play in the Euro Cup and, probably, not in the Games. Olympics that will be held next summer.

The Barça club specifies in its statement that the footballer will undergo surgery “in the coming days” and that, once this intervention is completed, a new medical report on the player's condition will be provided..

For Xavi, losing this young midfielder will be a very hard blow. Not in vain, the Barça coach himself has come to assure that Gavi is the heart of the team and that it was very difficult for him to think about the possibility of giving him a rest..

Now, the Barcelona coach will have to give a twist to his schemes. In principle, he should be able to count on Frenkie de Jong with a view to the match against Rayo next weekend, but no one is aware that the most crucial commitment his team has right now is the duel with Porto in the Champions League.. If Barça achieves victory, it will clearly seal its presence in the round of 16 of the highest European competition.. Otherwise, life in this tournament could become very complicated again.

In addition to the immediate future, Xavi also has to think about the medium and long term.. Covering Gavi's forced absence won't exactly be easy. The winter market is already at the door but, given the situation with financial fair play and the desire to incorporate Vitor Roque as soon as possible to have more goals, the solution, once again, could be at home. Above all, in the figure of Marc Casadó whom the Barça coach has been regularly including in his squads since the start of this season.

Another low-cost option would be to recover Pablo Torre who, in fact, is not adding too many minutes in the Girona ranks either. The lack of confidence that the man from Terrassa gave him last year, however, suggests that the early return of the Cantabrian to the Barça discipline is nothing short of an incredibly remote option.