So far, World Cup participants have been used to going on holiday straight away after being eliminated – or ideally after winning the title. It’s different this year. A World Cup, which was held for the first time in winter, caused the schedules in Europe’s top leagues to be postponed. The fans get more football in a short time than ever before.
As usual, the Premier League hardly shows any mercy when it comes to the burden on their players. The next round is already on the island today (live on Sky). Just seven days after the final in Qatar. Even before that, the fourth round of the EFL Cup, the second cup competition after the FA Cup, took place. Qatar participants such as Marcus Rashford or Bruno Fernandes for Manchester United, Rodrigo and Nathan Ake for City and Jordan Henderson and Darwin Nunez for Liverpool were already back on the field. After all, the show must go on.
Christmas time in England without football is also unthinkable for economic reasons. Boxing Day, Stefanitag, has become something like the high mass of the football business. Not just in England, but worldwide. The league has sold its broadcasting rights to almost 200 countries. Whether one is the best league in the world is part of discussions every year at the latest from the knockout games of the Champions League. You are definitely the richest, not least because of Boxing Day and the lack of a winter break. What makes spectators and the league happy can push players to their limits. In the run-up to the World Cup, the players’ union FifPro warned that the risk of injury would increase. However, this day has nothing to do with boxing. Traditionally, the employees of rich Brits received their gifts on Boxing Day.
The world champions are coming
With Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Cristian Romero (Tottenham) and Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton), the clubs of three world champions are already back in action today. It is questionable what role the trio will play. In addition to the load control, the coaches also have to take into account the probably not much less strenuous title celebrations in Buenos Aires. At least in the case of Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), these do not apply. The players should already be on their way back to England. “He’s celebrating in Buenos Aires and I understand that. But he also has to accept that the Premier League will continue for us on Tuesday,” Manchester United coach Erik ten Haag recently told his world champion Lisandro Martínez via the media. Manchester City can count on a fully rested Erling Haaland on Wednesday, who can hardly wait to start as a painful World Cup spectator.
The games in France are similarly closely timed. Ligue 1 (live on Dazn) ends its break on December 28th. Lionel Messi (PSG) could play a game as world champion for the first time at home against Strasbourg. Together with club colleague Kylian Mbappé, who will probably join his team a lot more rested.
It will also continue in Portugal (Dazn) on December 28th. With Spain (Dazn) there is still a European top league that can still be played in 2022. The upcoming round will take place from the 29th to the 31st. Serie A in Italy and the Eredivisie in the Netherlands will follow in the new year.
In comparison, the break after the World Cup in Germany is surprisingly generous. The players actually have time for vacation and relaxation. “It was only” on January 20th, more than a month after the final, that the Bundesliga picked up speed again. In Austria, the game begins with the quarter-finals of the ÖFB Cup at the beginning of February.
