Professional footballers are being made to play more and more games every season. From domestic Leagues to Cup games and European tournaments, the list is long. The revised format of the UEFA Champions League also increases the number of guaranteed games a team will play in a given season.
Recently, former French footballer and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry drew attention to the issue when he criticized the ‘massive’ football calendar. The 47-year-old cited the example of Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, who picked up a muscle injury weeks ago in training. After the injury, the midfielder posted on social media stating that his body was ‘asking for a break’ after a long season.
Henry stated that as a pundit, the increased number of games offers an exciting prospect. However, as a former player and a coach, he opined that too many games will ultimately prove detrimental.
Bellingham is already injured. As an ex-player and coach, it's just too many games. If I was a coach, I wouldn't have found it to be exciting.Thierry Henry told The Athletic
Bellingham, who is currently recovering from the injury, released the first video on his newly launched YouTube channel. As for Henry, the Frenchman stepped down from his position as the France U23 manager following the defeat to Spain in the Paris Olympics final.
The ‘Jude Bellingham’ celebration: Who really started it?
Jude Bellingham has truly become an international icon after his extremely successful debut season with Real Madrid. The Englishman took center stage as the Los Blancos marched on to the UEFA Champions League and La Liga titles. Besides scoring 19 goals in his first season in La Liga, his iconic celebration has spread like wildfire.
However, even though Bellingham is most associated with the celebration, he is not the first player to use it. From Didier Drogba to James Rodriguez and Lionel Messi, many players have done the same in the past.
Several fans on social media recently stated that Colombia’s Rodriguez imitated Bellingham’s goal celebration after scoring against Argentina in the recent World Cup Qualifier match. Some fans have stated that even though many other players have celebrated similarly in the past, Bellingham is the one who truly made it popular.
After a setback due to injury, he is expected to make the squad for the game against Real Sociedad. A similar incident occurred with Cole Palmer when fans debated that the Englishman’s celebration was first done by NBA star Trae Young.