ATLANTA (AP) — FIFA will consider continuing hydration breaks in future World Cups Despite backlash against additional suspensions He is also active in this year’s tournament.
Football Association president Gianni Infantino defended the decision to introduce a break in the middle of each half for this match. world cup And on Tuesday, he said he might provide more entertainment for fans.
He said FIFA would analyze what it would do in future competitions “based on this experience”. However, following criticism that the break was a sneaky way to insert advertising or an American-style time-out, Infantino suggested the break was a positive one.
“Maybe the coach can re-evaluate certain situations and correct certain mistakes. The players will rest a little and come back at full speed. Well, is that necessarily a bad thing? Maybe it’s a good thing,” Infantino told SNTV. “And we’re also seeing the intensity of the game. We’ve never seen 90 minutes played with such intensity in a tournament like this.”
“The players will continue to attack until the last second of the game,” he continued. “And maybe, maybe not, it’s just maybe a little bit of a blessing that these players are able to take this short break and then get back on the field and show what they’re capable of.”
The World Cup certainly delivered on the entertainment front. Scored goals at record pace Great performances from soccer’s greats lionel messiKylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. First-timers Cape Verde and Curaçao also made shockwaves, despite concerns that the expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams would dilute quality.
However, the biggest criticism has been the introduction of hydration breaks for all matches, regardless of venue or location.
Especially in games played in stadiums with roofs and air conditioning, such as in Atlanta, there were loud jeers when the game ended about 22 minutes into the first half.
Infantino said it was necessary for the sake of fairness in the sport.
“If you only take hydration breaks in games that are too hot and you don’t take breaks in other games, you’re going to be doing some coaches and some teams an advantage or a disadvantage,” he said. “Why does a manager have the opportunity to influence the game in one game just because it’s hot and not in another game when it’s a little less hot?”
Infantino also argued that FIFA did not receive any extra profit as a result of the network cutting commercials because the contract was signed before the match. Decided to introduce hydration breaks.
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James Robson is https://x.com/James Saran Robson
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
