Have you ever wondered why big football clubs always seem to have better and fitter players? A great player must at least have a dose of talent, but an overdose of fitness. This is the difference between the bigwigs and those struggling to stay afloat. We have small clubs with an abundance of talents, but there is little or no result for them because of a lack of fitness. Meanwhile, a good sportsbook review gives you perspective on where to stake.
Staying healthy by engaging in minor daily exercises is crucial for good living. In professional football, keeping your players fit is non-negotiable. It is not uncommon to find football players throwing caution to the wind and looking unfit. Some football players even eat pizza! Pizza is a very fatty meal and when eaten a lot will change the shape of a footballer. Here is how the biggest clubs make their players fitter.
What do the Clubs do?
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Unsurprisingly, the bigger the club the fitter players can be. Football clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool have invested lots of money in ensuring that their players are always fit. Here are some of the things bigger clubs do.
1. Invest in bigger training pitches/grounds:
The biggest training pitches are normally found in the bigger clubs. This is because of the high costs of such facilities. Bigger pitches enable players more room to train, more space for equipment and many more. Nigerian football legend Jay-Jay Okocha once even noted that Bolton Wanderers at the time had a ‘’rubbish” training ground.
2. Monitor the diet of Players:
Big clubs always have a professional team of dieticians. These people are tasked with drawing a plan for structured meals for the players. Monitoring the diet of players in this era is very crucial in generating better performance levels. Sports scientists have identified excess sugar as a major dent in the fitness of players. This is why some big clubs’ managers ban the consumption of soft drinks and junk. Some clubs even go as far as doing routine checks on their players to test for sugar levels. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo takes this to a different level by eating special meals. The Portuguese superstar has stated that he does not drink caffeine or fizzy drinks nor eat pizza. These principles have proved quite helpful in keeping the living legend fit.
3. Get Modern Equipment:
Super football clubs have it all. These clubs invest huge sums of money in procuring first-grade training equipment for players. In such clubs, you will find a standard gym, yoga fitness center, and tennis court. The gym also comes with specialized instructors that take the players through a series of drills. The yoga centers are designed to keep the body and soul in check. These clubs hire yoga experts to take the players through the process. Footballers of today also keep fit by playing video games. These help to douse tension and stress ahead of games. Though some coaches do not buy into this idea, it has produced results for some. Footballers like Antione Griezmann, Jesse Lingard, and Ousmane Dembele are PlayStation freaks and they take joy in beating their colleagues.
4. Use Psychologists and Therapists:
Modern research has shown that mental health plays a very key role in dictating the state of physical health. Footballers are celebrities that go through lots of physical and verbal abuse online or on-site. This means that they need constant therapy and aids for their mental health. Today, football faces the challenge of combating racial abuse, physical assault, and online abuse of all sorts. It, therefore, becomes very expedient that players are conditioned mentally for optimum performance.
Some Notable Examples
We have already established that the big clubs always leave no stone unturned in keeping their players fit. However, there are a few that go the extra mile by having extra training hours, keeping strict regulations on diet, and even going as far as controlling the sex lives of their players. Here are a few of these clubs:
Manchester City
The Arab-owned club has established itself as a 21st-century global football powerhouse, since the arrival of Pep Guardiola. The Catalan has ensured that his players are almost always in peak condition before games. This is very evident in the team’s crisp and elastic type of football that stretches opponents beyond their physical limits. This type of football requires discipline tactically and physically. Guardiola has been known to ban the consumption of beer and fizzy drinks.
Liverpool
The Scousers, as they are popularly called, are arguably the fittest team in Europe currently. The Reds, led by Jurgen Klopp, play very attacking football with relentless pressure on their opponents. This means that they give little or no room for the opposition. This style of play requires premium fitness and energy.
Bayern Munich
The Bavarians are one of the most feared teams in Europe. They are also the most consistently dominant club in world football. Their current crop of players all looks bulked up and more energetic. This is down to quality fitness and training.