“How can we best understand the return of a player who played in the CAN?
In my opinion, we must differentiate the “winners” from the “disappointed”. Post-success, players may face a logical decompression. It materializes in a drop in motivation, but a fairly easy rebound. In this case, it is up to the club to rely on the influence of the winner so that it improves the group. On the other hand, after a disappointment linked to an early elimination or a lost final, motivation can also drop significantly, to the point of causing depression. It must be treated, otherwise the player will show sadness or aggressiveness over time, sometimes to the detriment of the club.
And for the most disappointed, is there a specific procedure?
Generally, players don’t really want to be cajoled. They simply want to get back on track as quickly as possible, sometimes too quickly. You have to find the right words and slow them down if necessary. For the most disappointed, turning the page is important, to accept what happened and rediscover the pleasure of playing.
“It is sometimes better to lose eight to ten days immediately to find a player who is more bleeding in the long term”
On the contrary, how can we detect if a player needs time before playing again?
We have to be in dialogue. Listen to him if he needs to talk, and try to find out his physical and mental state. It is sometimes better to lose eight to ten days immediately to find a player who is more bleeding in the long term.
When can we consider that a player has fully recovered from a competition like the CAN?
Personally, I like to say that you only mourn a competition when you start the next one. In the case of a CAN, the cycle would therefore last two years to completely move on. This does not prevent, in the meantime, traumas or joys from resurfacing in similar situations.
Can we talk about progress regarding psychological monitoring?
Yes, clearly. Clubs are much more vigilant about the mental health of their players than twenty or thirty years ago. It has become common practice, and knowledge has also progressed on this subject. There is less shame in talking about your failures and players do it on social networks. »
