Many football fans do not like international breaks. I reckon that many footballers, club team managers, analysts and many more in the football ecosystem feel the same. There is a good reasons for international breaks in football, some national team games have to be played during the year. The alternative to international breaks is not very palatable, because it will require an intensive period of national team games after rather hectic club football seasons. This is unlike post-season tournament camping because while tournaments are typically played in one country or close-by countries, with minimal travelling required, the venues of international games can be varying distances as the games are scheduled to be alternate between the homes of the playing nations.
Given the club football calendar, which typically runs for about nine to ten months in the year, having subsequent camping for international matches will reduce the already short holiday period for players. In addition, the quality of the tournaments, which many already consider to be poor, will be further reduced as players will be very tired. This also increases the potential for injury to players due to fatigue. Hence the international breaks appear a great compromise.
But imagine that your team is on a winning streak which has to be paused for an international break. This is one of the reasons football fans dislike the break. Momentum can be cut short, and as we know “people who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed” as excellently captured by Anthony Jay Robbins, an American author, coach, speaker, and philanthropist.
In addition, players have been known to return from international breaks with knocks and niggles. Many players who have also been in good form prior to a break have oftentimes returns with indifferent forms or found it difficult to find the level of form they were playing at prior to the break. A team whose key player or players are negatively impacted can have their aspirations cut short and their season ruined.
Of course, the opposite is also true. As Tara Brach, the American psychologist, author and proponent of Buddhist meditation said, “through the sacred art of pausing, we develop the capacity to stop hiding, to stop running away from our experience. We begin to trust in our natural intelligence, in our naturally wise heart, in our capacity to open to whatever arises.” Teams who were previously producing mediocre performances can reengineer themselves to perform at a higher level after a break. The break can provide the coaching staff and players an opportunity to review the reasons for the less than excellent performances. They can use the off time to drill the players who were not called up by their national teams and it is not unusual for some teams to turn their performances around following a break.
But as Jennifer Egan, the American novelist and writer posited in her novel ‘A Visit From The Goon Squad‘, “the pause makes you think the song will end. And then the song isn’t really over, so you’re relieved…”, some teams maintain their momentum after a break. Indeed, some oftentimes accelerate their momentum in keeping with the observation of Kristin Armstrong Savola, former professional road bicycle racer and three-time Olympic gold medalist, “it’s not only moving that creates new starting points. Sometimes all it takes is a subtle shift in perspective, an opening of the mind, [a] pause and reset, or a new route to start to see new options and new possibilities.”
For football fans, as much as we hate the international break, we cannot but accept it. So it provides an opportunity for fans to reflect on their teams’ season and banter the poor performers. The advice of Kathy Freston, the American author rings true, “in the middle of it all, pause and look around you. Appreciate what’s beautiful. Take in the love. Nod to what’s good and true. And then move forward one step at a time.”
All things considered, whether in football or other facets of life, I remind myself of thoughtful words of Guillaume Apollinaire, French poet, playwright, writer, novelist and art critic, “now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.“
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