Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Manama: Coaches have praised the new fixtures schedule of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-19 Championship Bahrain 2016. The new competition schedule, which was approved by the AFC Competitions Committee in 2014, is part of the AFC’s efforts to ensure the wellbeing of players by enhancing the preparation time for teams, and ultimately leading to a stronger competition.
The current format, which is aligned with FIFA’s recommendations, was designed to ensure that each team is given two rest days in between matches. This is a massive improvement from the six group-stage matchdays at the AFC U-19 Championship Myanmar 2014, and all previous editions, where teams were given just one rest day in between matches.
Vietnam’s coach Hoang Anh Tuan, who led his side to a historic place in the semi-finals, said the new schedule allows for better preparation and leads to a more comprehensive recovery regime: “Too much of exposure or over-congestion can kill even the best of players. The two days' rest time has improved significantly the rehabilitation of our players, not just from a performance viewpoint, but also for the development of these players.”
Head coach Amir Peiravani from Islamic Republic of Iran agrees with his counterpart, highlighting the growing levels of intensity in the global game. “Many of these players are competing at the local and continental leagues and of course, at this international level. Especially at this age, they want to play in every match because they want to prove themselves.”
“As coaches, we are always mindful of the amount of exposure we give our players. This improvement allows us to place a greater emphasis on taking a progressive approach”
Japan coach Atsushi Uchiyama, who was the assistant coach in the previous edition in Myanmar, said: “This competition schedule adds a new dimension to our preparations. Usually, when a player feels discomfort, we may need a day to bring him up to speed, physically. Once we achieve that we can then focus on the technical and tactical aspects on the second rest day.
“With the previous schedule, it is a foregone conclusion; if he is injured, he will probably be out for the next match, or even the competition.”
AFC Medical Committee Chairman Dato’ Dr Gurcharan Singh was quick to point out the negative psychological consequences of fatigue and inadequate recovery time: “Like any combative, high-intensity sport, fatigue is one of the most common symptoms in the professional game. A tighter fixtures schedule naturally increases the risk of injury significantly.
“Fatigue leads to a decline in physical or muscle performance and sustained fatigue over a long period can cause severe muscle impairments, even leading to structural damage.”
“This new competition schedule is aligned with FIFA’s recommendation, which places paramount importance on the wellbeing of players, to have at least two days between matches.
“More time to recover from injuries leads to better prepared teams and players, which ultimately raises the quality of the competition.”
Photo: AFC