With 11 Arsenal players removed from national team duty or away from national team training camps, rival fans have criticized the Gunners and questioned the morale of their players.
Arsenal desperately trying to avoid injuries (Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Club vs country. It’s football’s eternal tug of war.
Following Martin Zvimendi’s departure from the Spain squad, a total of 11 Arsenal players have either been removed from international duty or left the national team’s training camp ahead of training. This has sparked debate over the players’ contribution to their home countries, with accusations that Arsenal are putting pressure on the federation to send players home early. But is anyone surprised?
The Gunners are going through their biggest period in recent history, with the famous Treble still on the cards. Arsenal’s next five games include three cup quarter-finals and a potential Premier League title decider.
Of course, like it or not, players from countries that only play friendlies this month will be more cautious. Meanwhile, Riccardo Calafioli and Victor Gokeres will give their all to help Italy and Sweden in the World Cup qualifying play-off finals respectively.
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Of the players returning to London Colney, including Noni Madueke, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, their country may consider it better to return to their home clubs to avoid risking their long-term fitness ahead of the World Cup. It’s also worth noting that the extent of Arsenal’s injury woes will only become clear when the squad to face Southampton is announced on Saturday night.
But one thing is for sure: FIFA cannot continue the international holidays this late in the standard European season, or football will continue to undermine itself. The international calendar is packed at the best of times, but when you’re squeezing in important play-off matches and dead rubber friendlies between the knockout phases of club competitions, something needs to be done.
Should Arsenal players be criticized for leaving? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice spent just one day in the England camp (Image: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
FIFA has already indicated it will adapt by consolidating the suspension period in September and October into three weeks, the first of which will be seen later this year. This will prevent most of Europe’s top domestic leagues from being suspended three times in as many months.
This change will give national managers a lot more time to work with their players, and it feels like fewer players will miss out knowing their club games are just days away. So instead of counting the number of chickens before they hatch, why not combine the November and March holidays?
Let’s consider mid-February, plenty of time after each club’s winter break, and in this hypothetical scenario before the Champions League final. This would allow for a direct transition from the end of the qualifying cycle to the playoffs, giving fans a significant reprieve instead of scrambling to plan for summer tournaments with just over two months’ notice.
FIFA has been accused of pushing players to their limits (Image: Tasos Katapodis – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
There are obviously logistical hurdles to holding the playoffs immediately after qualifying, but I’m sure FIFA and the federations are smart enough to pre-book venues. And speaking of venue, wouldn’t it make more sense for playoff games to be played at neutral venues rather than giving some teams home advantage based on a draw?
Certainly those who are obsessed with the Premier League will no doubt complain about taking a longer break than usual. But at least the punter only moans twice a season instead of four.
Simply put, FIFA cannot continue to limit international slots during a high-pressure period of the season when players and staff are already stretched to the limit with too many matches. I don’t blame Arsenal, I blame the game.
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