Short Thought: Unnecessary International Friendlies

Everybody knows the Premier League starts this weekend except for maybe FIFA. It's obvious that none of the EPL bosses are pleased with the International Friendly dates in the midweek before the season kicks off. It's a vital time for team preparation and it's usually the best of the best players of a country that represent their patriotic colors. Therefore they are almost sure to be vital and important players to there club as well. Obviously everyone needs to train, but as a coach you would have to feel pretty ridiculous training players that you know won't even make the squad list for the opening match.

It's a risk of injury for the players as well. Liverpool should consider themselves lucky because skipper, Stevie Gerrard pulled out of the England squad because he believed there was a light tug on his groin that he did not want to risk. He was replaced by Aston Villa's Ashley Young. Gerrard is still expected to play the opener at White Hart Lane against Spurs at the weekend. The German Bundesliga started this past week where heavily sought after transfer target Franck Ribery was unable to play because of an injury he sustained in preseason, yet he was still called up for the French National Team. Real Madrid put their foot down an did not release Portugal star, Cristiano Ronaldo, who is said to have the flu (normal strand, not swine flu.) The former Real Madrid manager and current Portuguese National Team boss Carlos Queiroz was less than pleased as his team are struggling to be a shoe in for their World Cup 2010 qualification quest. Real Madrid did however release Pepe to go. The World Cup is in the back of everyone's mind this season, as John Terry said this week, but this friendly session seems to be unneeded and unnecessary. The EPL is the best league in the world at the current moment and an international friendly date in the week before opening day is ludicrous. Players will definitely return fatigued and jet lagged and may even need a break from training before they can get down to work again. And when they do get back to business with their clubs, I doubt there will be enough time to rehearse everything in training. What really can you do though? I think the managers need to speak up up and band together. Of course friendlies for national teams are essential but on a date like this one? There has to be somewhere else to fit it in.

Viva el futbol y Hala Madrid

Bobby