Player Workload & Soccer's Injury Crisis feat. Rich Buchanan & Joel Tatton-Bennett (S2 E17)

In this episode of The Insider's Lounge, Rich Buchanan and Joel Tatton-Bennett join us to explore soccer's injury crisis and the growing demands placed on players. We start by defining what player workload is and its physical and mental toll on athletes. From there, we discuss when these demands became a significant issue and how they can be measured effectively.

The conversation transitions to why players are taking on more games, driven by commercial pressures such as the expanded Champions League formats and FIFA's Club World Cup, now backed by a major DAZN broadcast deal. We also explore whether the commercial side of the game has become oversaturated, potentially contributing to the delay in finalizing the DAZN agreement.

Rich and Joel provide insights into whether the current intensity is sustainable, exploring the possibility of load management strategies and union advocacy to support players. They also discuss how technology is being used to monitor and manage workloads, highlighting who is leading the way in this area.

We delve into what players think about the increasing demands, why many embrace them despite the risks, and how youth players navigate the leap to first-team environments. The episode concludes by examining whether the industry is moving toward better support systems for player well-being and pointing listeners to resources to learn more about managing workload in soccer.

If you're curious about the future of the game and how to address these pressing challenges, this episode is a must-listen.

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Chapters: 
00:00 Intro
03:16 What Is Player Workload? Exploring the Physical Impact
07:13 The Mental Health and Well-Being Side of Player Workload
10:24 When Did Player Workload Become an Issue, and How Can We Measure It?
24:17 Why Are Players Playing More? The Commercial Influence on the Game
28:11 Can Players Sustain More Games? Exploring Load Management and Union Advocacy
34:09 Commercial Saturation: FIFA Club WC and the DAZN Broadcast Deal
37:28 Why Most Players Embrace an Increased Workload
45:01 Does Legal Action Need to Happen for Change?
48:18 How Do Youth Players Transition to First-Team Workload?
56:22 Is Support for Player Well-Being Improving? A Positive Trajectory for Athletes
59:04 Leveraging Technology to Help Players Manage Their Workload
1:06:50 Who’s Leading the Charge in Player Workload Management? Resources to Learn More
1:11:35 Outro

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 3:16 What Is Player Workload? Exploring the Physical Impact
• 7:13 The Mental Health and Well-Being Side of Player Workload
• 10:24 When Did Player Workload Become an Issue, and How Can We Measure It?
• 24:17 Why Are Players Playing More? The Commercial Influence on the Game
• 28:11 Can Players Sustain More Games? Exploring Load Management and Union Advocacy
• 34:09 Commercial Saturation: FIFA Club WC and the DAZN Broadcast Deal
• 37:28 Why Most Players Embrace an Increased Workload
• 45:01 Does Legal Action Need to Happen for Change?
• 48:18 How Do Youth Players Transition to First-Team Workload?
• 56:22 Is Support for Player Well-Being Improving? A Positive Trajectory for Athletes
• 59:04 Leveraging Technology to Help Players Manage Their Workload
• 1:06:50 Who’s Leading the Charge in Player Workload Management? Resources to Learn More
• 1:11:35 Outro