Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, 26, has had a long and intense season. On Stile TV, his agent Enzo Raiola denounced the infernal rhythm imposed on the players, between league, Champions League and international competitions, which leaves little room for rest and exposes the athletes to extreme fatigue.
Raiola “Playing such important matches at the end of the season is not good for athletes, it’s heavy.”
“After such a long championship and such an intense Champions League, the players needed a vacation. Between training for the national team and the very important matches, it’s not easy to rest. Of course, schedules are tight, but playing such important matches at the end of the season isn’t good for the athletes, it’s heavy.
Raiola “He’s played over 60 games”.
Donnarumma will be leaving for the World Cup with PSG. He started preparing in July, we’re now in June and there are still some important matches to play. He’s played over 60 games, so the mood is good and he’d like to do as much, if not more, for the national team, but the fatigue of a whole season is making itself felt. And, at the end of this intense week, he’ll be embarking on a new, mentally stressful journey.”
Donnarumma’s marathon season is a perfect illustration of the excesses of a calendar that has become unsustainable for PSG stars. Having played more than 60 matches in a row, with no real break between club and country, the Italian keeper still has to play major matches before the Club World Cup, a situation denounced by his agent Enzo Raiola.
This frenetic pace, dictated by economic and media interests, puts a strain on the players’ physical and mental health: recovery becomes almost impossible, fatigue accumulates and the risk of injury increases.
For Donnarumma, maintaining a high level of performance in these conditions is no mean feat. This kind of schedule management raises questions about the ability of modern soccer to preserve its players, at a time when the pressure to “play everything” has never been greater, at Paris Saint-Germain as elsewhere.
