Common occurence: Beth Mead is one of several players to suffer an ACL injury amid a hectic schedule
(Picture: Getty Images)Sarina Wiegman has urged women’s football authorities to “put players first”, warning that a relentless schedule is asking “too much” of the game’s stars amid a spate of high-profile injuries.
Wiegman led England to European Championship glory this summer, the second of five major tournaments in as many years in the women’s game, starting with last year’s delayed Tokyo Olympics.
The run means many elite international players may not be afforded a full summer break until 2026, though the situation could yet get worse, with Fifa last week announcing plans to introduce a Women’s Club World Cup.
Already the schedule appears to be taking its toll, with a number of the sport’s most recognisable players suffering serious ACL injuries in recent months. They include Spain’s Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, who missed the Euros, as well as England star Beth Mead and her Arsenal team-mate Vivianne Miedema.
Limited research suggests female players could be up to six times more likely to suffer ACL injuries than their male counterparts.
“I think in general for the top, top level players the schedule is too much,” said Wiegman, who has coached both Mead and Miedema to Euros success.
“The level of the game has improved and so the load on players physically and mentally - and you can’t split that because we are all human beings - does ask so much of them.
“They need some rest, just to get some headspace and get the head and body right. I think Fifa, Uefa and the federations, we just need to do a little better job and all think of the players.
“After a tournament, the impact on the top level players is so big they need a proper rest. Maybe one year you can skip and get through it, but when it is two or three years, then we all take a big risk of injuries.”
Mead was both the top scorer and player of the tournament at the Euros and is the heavy favourite to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year at Wednesday night’s ceremony.
The 27-year-old suffered a torn ACL in last month’s WSL defeat to Manchester United and is already facing a race to be fit for next summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
“It’s so sad, I really feel for her of course,” Wiegman added. “She did so well, she was in such a good place.
“She’s a very positive person. So yes, I hope she just will recover. It’s too early to say whether she will be [available for the World Cup], so we just take it easy now, first recover, and then over the next months we’ll see how it will develop.
“No push - she has to become fit again, taking care of herself, and she knows she gets all the support from Arsenal, she gets all the support from us and the FA.”
