Barcelona’s issues; fitness and fatigue
Barcelona have started their season on a very low note. Unlike last seasons, Barcelona are showing loopholes and weaknesses in their game. Due to this, many teams are able to stand against the Catalan giants, despite of being average in comparison.
Right now, Barcelona is in third place in Spanish La Liga, one point below the leaders Real Madrid. The Catalans have already been beaten in their home ground, Camp Nou, by a recently promoted but rejuvenated Hercules side. From the very start of the season,
there is something missing in their game. Players are the same, rather the squad has been strengthened, but the failure rate is increasing.
Although, the credit should be given to the opposition sides, but a lot of blame can be put on the fitness issues resulting in fatigued players. The players do not look fit enough, as they often get tired, especially towards the end of the game. Also, many
players are facing injury issues, as Xavi and Victor Valdes are currently unavailable as well. These two problems have particularly affected the players in away games, where a little bit of travelling also compounds the fatigue related issues.
One of the major reasons for these problems is the extensive travelling involving Barcelona stars. Before the season started, Barcelona was having a pre-season tour of Asian countries. Just when the tour was about the end, the Spanish players were called
on the international duty in South America. These players had to return in next two days, because they had to play a match on the weekend. This kind of urgency is insane for any player despite of his fitness level.
Also, the Euro 2012 is on the horizon, while the qualifying round in being played at the moment. This means that the players are again on a move constantly. Barcelona is especially affected in this scenario because they have eight players from Spanish National
side. All these players are vital part of Spanish starting XI, which means that players get little rest during their breaks from the club.
The problems with fitness have been accumulating for a very long time now. Last season, Barcelona played more matches than any other team in Spain. This happened because Barcelona won a treble season before that. Therefore, the Catalans played two extra
matches in form of Super Cup, and they also took part in FIFA Club World Cup. Apart from that, Barcelona made it to the semi-finals of Champions League as well.
Naturally, the season before that was also hectic, because the club won a treble that season. That season was preceded by the Euro 2008, when all these players were involved in Spain winning the title. The previous season, once again, was followed by the
World Cup in South Africa. Once again, the Spanish stars from Barcelona, were involved in their country’s crowing as the World Champions.
This makes things a lot clear, as it clearly shows that many Barcelona’s players have been involved in football more than any other player in other clubs. Naturally, such a hectic routine demands a lot from a player, and challenges him physically. Dropping
fitness levels and showing sign of fatigue is usual in such circumstances.
The only player in Barcelona, who has shown no real weakness, is Lionel Messi. The young Argentinean is showing great levels of fitness, as he has seldom missed any matches for his team. He does not even like sitting on benches, because he thinks that he
belongs on the pitch. Moreover, the Argentinean magician condemns being substituted, as he plays mostly for the whole 90 minutes. Despite of all this exertion, Messi continues to shine and perform for Barcelona. Maybe, he is being driven by the desire to be
the best in the world.
Nevertheless, Pep Guardiola only needs to give his players some rest from time to time, so that they remain ready for big matches. These issues affect many teams, and unfortunately the only solution for this problem is keeping the players out of action infrequently.
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