More competitions, longer seasons and other demands put focus on workload in elite women's soccer
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New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Chelsea men's and women's teams celebrate trophy wins at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea presented the FIFA Club World Cup and their summer signings to supporters at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday as they celebrated the five trophies won by their men's and women's teams last season. The celebration in front of several thousand fans in the West Stand of the stadium featured on-pitch interviews with club captain Reece James, head coach Enzo Maresca, winger Pedro Neto as well as Chelsea women captain Millie Bright, head coach Sonia Bompastor, Erin Cuthbert and Catarina Macario. Advertisement Chelsea women completed a domestic treble in 2024-25, lifting the League Cup and FA Cup as well as winning the Women's Super League (WSL) for a sixth successive year. All three trophies were placed on plinths on a stage erected on the Stamford Bridge pitch in front of the West Stand, with official stadium announcer Lee Parker conducting proceedings. Our two managers. 🤝💙 — (C)helsea FC Women 🏆🏆🏆 (@ChelseaFCW) August 6, 2025 Many of the Chelsea women's squad were not in attendance so soon after this summer's European Championship, but the men's first team were introduced individually to rapturous applause, with Enzo Fernandez bringing out the UEFA Conference League trophy and the biggest cheers reserved for Cole Palmer and player of the year Moises Caicedo. Chelsea's new faces were also given a warm welcome from the Stamford Bridge crowd. Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato, Dario Essugo and Estevao were all among the last names to be introduced, with the Brazilian teenager flashing a broad smile as he made the penultimate entrance. Then it was the turn of James and Maresca, sharing the honour of carrying the vast Club World Cup trophy across the pitch to its plinth, 24 days after lifting it in New Jersey. 'It means a lot to me personally,' James said of winning the competition, raising his voice to be heard over chants of 'He's one of our own' from the West Stand. 'I've been here in difficult times and had struggles myself, so to win this trophy at the end of a tough season means a lot.' Maresca added: 'I think we showed this season how strong we are, but football is never enough, you are always trying to do more, to improve. This season is the same target: try to improve players and to improve the team.' Asked for his message to Chelsea supporters ahead of the new season, the Italian replied: 'The message for me is quite clear: the players need the fans, so it's important that they are always behind them. This is my main message.' Advertisement Chelsea's men and women paraded all five trophies in front of the West Stand before exiting the pitch. Fans in attendance were shown a video on the big screen of James carrying the Club World Cup into the club's trophy room and placing it among the club's historic silverware, then smiling to the camera and walking away. (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Times
5 days ago
- New York Times
The NWSL is back, six days after the Euros final. Are players getting enough rest?
Last Sunday, England defender Jess Carter helped the Lionesses to a second consecutive European Championship. Their victory over World Cup winners Spain in Basel, Switzerland, was celebrated widely in the days that followed. There was a homecoming parade, a royal reception and a performance by head coach Sarina Wiegman's favorite artist, Burna Boy, as the nation basked in the euphoria. Advertisement Carter, though, instead opted for a one-way ticket to the United States to rejoin her club, Gotham FC, ahead of the resumption of their 2025 NWSL campaign. 'I feel like there hasn't been any time to reflect,' a smiling Carter, 27, said Thursday, on the eve of Gotham's match against the Chicago Stars. 'I was just itching to get back.' The NWSL returns Friday after a month-long pause for the Euros, WAFCON and Copa América Femenina. Carter was one of 39 NWSL players called up by national teams for these competitions, with nine players still in Ecuador for the Copa América final between Brazil and Colombia in Quito on Sunday. Some, like Spain's Golden Boot winner, Esther González, have chosen to have a break, but Carter is now in Chicago, some 4,500 miles from where England won the final at St. Jakob-Park, speaking with journalists over Zoom. She says returning to football so soon was by choice. 'We speak a lot, especially in the national team, about that post-tournament decompression and figuring out what the right thing is for the players,' Carter said. 'For me, I struggle sometimes to have time off and then have to go again. So, I always find it easier to come back and get going.' But with increasing numbers of international players in NWSL and the international match calendar becoming more crowded, the conversation around players' time off is becoming trickier to navigate. Players returning to the NWSL after tournaments have no guaranteed time off, with any vacation taken after a consensus is reached between a player and their club. Each NWSL club has its own approach and every return is different, depending on minutes played in a tournament, the amount of travel or how they're feeling mentally following the highs and lows of tournament football. These decisions are often guided by the team's medical and performance staffs, with the player ideally at the center of the conversations. Advertisement Angel City FC, for example, signed Icelandic forward Sveindís Jónsdóttir a few weeks before the start of the Euros. She joined the club after taking some time off following Iceland's group stage exit. Other teams, such as the Houston Dash, offered players time off. After Venezuela's Bárbara Olivieri and Nigeria's Michelle Alozie returned to Houston – Olivieri following Venezuela's group stage exit, and Alozie as a WAFCON champion — they competed in a friendly before each taking a week off. Gotham have six players competing in the three competitions, the most of any club. They gave every returning player the option for time off, with the duration of their breaks determined on an individual basis. 'I think it's very important that players, with how long and demanding is this season in the NWSL, that they have some time for themselves, the same way that we had with the break in the league' Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said in July. This weekend, Gonzalez and Ghana's Stella Nyamekye will be absent in Chicago. Germany's star goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who had a heartbreaking semifinal loss to Spain in the Euros, and Danish midfielder Josefine Hasbo, whom Gotham signed in June, are all back, along with Carter. Carter says she is confident her club will give her time off when she needs it. 'I felt like I had enough support from Gotham to be able to manage what I needed over the coming weeks,' she said. 'Because I'm well aware it's going to hit me at some point. I'm not gonna be able to keep (going) 'go, go, go' so I know that they'll support me whatever way I need, going forward.' Scott Epsley, Gotham's director of player health and performance, explained to The Athletic how the club had a whiteboard in their offices that, for several months, helped visually track where players were and when they would be returning. Communication with the players' federations, he said, was crucial, as was having accurate information on how often they trained with those teams. Advertisement A player's reintegration into the club's environment is tailored to their needs. Staff take a holistic approach, reevaluating a player's strength, range of motion, past injuries and other relevant factors. For example, Carter trained this week, working closely around her travel and sleep schedule, while the rest of her Gotham teammates recovered. 'When you're just playing and you're not really training, which is what these tournaments are, you can actually detrain in certain areas,' Epsley said. Stakeholders with competing interests continue to fill the calendar, with players often stuck in the middle between international windows mandated by global governing body FIFA and the demands of their domestic teams. 'We are concerned about the inadequate rest periods between FIFA windows and regular-season games,' Meghann Burke, the NWSL Players Association's executive director, told The Athletic. 'The problem is we don't have a great answer, because FIFA just keeps grabbing more and more days (for FIFA windows), making it difficult for us to be able to play our regular season.' After announcing the new match calendar in March 2023, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: 'FIFA promoted a truly global approach to the discussions on the International Match Calendar, which considered the perspectives of all key stakeholders. Our fundamental objective is to have clarity on this topic, and to have meaningful football matches while protecting the well-being of the players and recognising that many regions need more competitive football.' The Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RTSP) govern when players must be released by clubs for international duty, and vice versa. FIFA only requires that players be released the morning after a team's last match in a tournament. From there, players coordinate with their clubs. 'The reality is, when you look at the grueling demands of this past window (in July)… it's very clear that players need a rest, and that's a decision that, at this point, needs to be made by the team,' Burke said. Advertisement The NWSLPA's scope here is limited. The international match calendar is decided by FIFA. The union is pushing for more input, so is the NWSL. The league has expressed its own desires to work with FIFA more closely over calendar concerns, hiring Sarah Gregorius, a former professional player and exec at FIFPro, the international players' union, last year to help facilitate talks with stakeholders. NWSL players also face unique challenges. The vast geography of the U.S. means club travel is akin to international travel in Europe. There are also a growing number of competitions, while the increasing number of international players in the league adds another layer to player welfare concerns. 'The NWSL Players Association represents all of our members, with respect to their club role, and we're deeply concerned about their work conditions when they go to play for the national team,' Burke said. 'We've had members go away to a national team and come back with an injury that impacts their ability to perform work for their club. So, we've expanded our scope to be concerned about working conditions for our members who are competing for national teams in other countries.' The NWSLPA has, however, found tangible ways to address player workload management. The union partnered with BreakAway Data last year to give players access to their physical data and pushed in its CBA for teams to hire professionals that can help players manage growing demand. 'Our approach so far has been to advocate for things like applied sports scientists, which were not a requirement until our first collective bargaining agreement came along,' Burke said, 'and advocating for experts in the space to manage workload responsibly and make sure that it's tailored to meet that individual player's needs.' The NWSLPA also negotiated a mid-season break for players this year. That CBA-mandated break from June 23-29 was 'crucial,' Burke said. However, the league scheduled it during this recent FIFA window, keeping international players from benefiting. Burke is optimistic that, next year, a break would be more inclusive. 'Because the league (the NWSL) has to take a break during the men's World Cup (June 11-July 19), it's the first real opportunity the league has had to schedule the midseason break outside of a FIFA window,' Burke said. 'We've made that ask. That decision's not been made yet. I'm hopeful they will see the wisdom of giving the international (players) that break.'
CNN
5 days ago
- CNN
Barcelona FC president Joan Laporta is ‘open' to playing a competitive La Liga fixture in US
Soccer People in sports Lionel Messi FacebookTweetLink FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta says the club is 'open' and 'available' to play an official league match in the United States next season. In an interview with CNN Sports from Seoul during the club's Asian tour, Laporta says discussions had been held about the possible fixture over the last year and that La Liga – Spain's top league – is excited about the opportunity. 'We are delighted to go to the United States every year because we feel loved, we feel respected as a club, we have plenty of fans there,' Laporta says. 'For a La Liga (match), I think that will be very interesting. I know that the president of La Liga (Javier Tebas) is really keen on celebrating this official game in the States. 'And for (Barcelona), it will be a great honor, a great honor to participate in this event that will be an official game of La Liga, but at the same time will be a big event in the States.' Laporta says there were plans discussed last season about holding a game in the US, but that things never got formalized. He told CNN Sports this week that he had 'heard' there could be another opportunity this season and that he would be happy for Barça to be involved. 'We are available and open. We are at the disposal of La Liga in this sense,' he adds. While a competitive Spanish league match has never been played overseas, this is not the first time that the idea has been mooted by those in charge. In 2018, La Liga announced it was planning to hold an official match in the US, but the proposal was quickly shut down. Spanish players at the time were 'outraged' by the decision and even threatened strike action. The proposal, which involved a game between Barça and fellow Catalan club Girona, was then shelved by La Liga boss Tebas. Now, though, it appears the league is pushing the idea once again. 'We are a club that belongs to La Liga, and we are responsible because we want to commercialize La Liga as best as possible. Again, I'm open and (Barcelona) is at the disposal of La Liga,' Laporta says. If a game involving the Blaugrana is hosted by the US next season, many fans will flock to whichever stadium to watch the club's star player, Lamine Yamal. The 18-year-old – who has recently been given the mythical No. 10 shirt – has been nothing short of magical in his short career to date and has some claiming that he's the best player in the world already. The winger has won two La Liga titles and helped Spain to European Championship glory in 2024, while lighting up last year's Champions League with an array of impressive performances. Both his impact on the pitch and his playing style have earned him comparisons with former Barça talisman Lionel Messi, who is considered by many as the greatest soccer player of all time. Messi is now playing in the US with Inter Miami and has been behind a huge popularity boost in the MLS. Laporta, though, is wary of comparing Yamal to Messi and wants the youngster to instead focus on his own game. 'Lamine Yamal is Lamine Yamal, Leo Messi was Leo Messi,' Laporta says. 'Leo Messi has been the best player in the world, and Lamine, I think that in his position nowadays, is the best player in the world. 'Messi won everything, Messi did everything, for me probably the best player in history, but the world continues and appears new geniuses. The new geniuses that are appearing nowadays are players like Lamine Yamal, like Pedri, like Raphinha.' He adds: 'In the case of Lamine, there are not too many players like him because he's a genius and he's the top level.' Yamal recently signed a contract extension with FC Barcelona, a deal which keeps the teenage superstar with the Blaugrana until the end of the 2030-31 season. In an exclusive interview with CNN Sports in January, the phenom said that Barça was the 'club of my life' and that he was enjoying his time at the Catalan club. Laporta says he's conscious of working with the player's family and agent to help the forward have the best career possible and is leaning on his experience with Messi as a way of creating the best possible environment for Yamal to continue flourishing. 'I think that the most important thing is that he enjoys the team. It is very important that he feels good, that he can stay with his colleagues on the pitch, enjoying playing football, and out of the pitch, enjoying as a boy that likes a normal life,' Laporta says. 'He is very professional and he knows that to be the best and to be at the top, he needs to be fit, he needs to train, he needs to follow the advice of the coach and the people that are around him and basically to feel happy, to feel that he's enjoying playing football.' Barça is currently in Asia on a preseason tour – where the Blaugrana beat FC Seoul 7-3 on Thursday before playing Daegu FC on August 4 – as it prepares for another tough campaign in both Spain and the Champions League. Laporta is hoping to build on a domestic double-winning season last term and is excited to see some of the new additions to the squad, including English forward Marcus Rashford. The striker joined from Manchester United on a season-long loan earlier this month, in a bid to revive his career which has stagnated in recent seasons. 📞 "Sí... És oficial."Rashford segueix les passes de Lineker. The Barça president says Rashford was once the best player in England and hopes a move to different league can bring about a return of that form. 'We signed this player because he was really committed to coming to Barcelona,' Laporta says. 'He's fast, he's strong, he's committed, and again, he did his best in order to sign for Barcelona. He was pushing his agent, he was talking to the club, and at the same time to Manchester United.' Fierce rival Real Madrid will once again look to get in the way of Barcelona's pursuit of both domestic and European glory next season. Former Madrid star midfielder and Bundesliga-winning coach with Bayer Leverkusen Xabi Alonso has taken over the reins at Los Blancos and will be tasked with molding the group of world-class players – including Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Jr. and Jude Bellingham – in the Spanish capital into a winning machine. Laporta, though, is confident the Blaugrana can keep the upper-hand over their rival, as they did last season. 'I think that we were a better team than them last season. They have great players, and they signed a new coach and we'll see, but Real Madrid will always will be our rival,' he says. 'Especially in the Spanish league, I think that will be a great competition because both teams are giving good football.' The reigning La Liga champion will kick off its new league campaign against Mallorca on August 16. While Laporta is open to new ideas about the location where games might be played, he does admit that the 'soccer calendar is too tight.' His comments come after a summer in which many club teams were involved in the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, leaving players with an even smaller window to recover and prepare for the 2025-26 season. It continues a trend of an ever-increasing number of matches top-level players are expected to compete in, between the expanding club game and national team commitments. And the Barça boss believes soccer authorities need to find a way to 'reduce the number of games' to help players and clubs alike. 'As a club, we have to have more players than usually we have (to play more matches), and this means that we have to invest more and this means that we have to do our best in order to have a more competitive squad,' he said. 'Of course, they are talented players but also they are human beings and there is a limit. They have to have time to rest and have time to enjoy and I think that is a matter to take into consideration.' Laporta's comments to CNN Sports come as Real Madrid had a request to push back its opening game of the new season denied by the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF), according to media reports in Spain. Los Blancos had asked for their home match against Osasuna on August 19 to be postponed because of their participation in the Club World Cup – where it lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals on July 9 – but Madrid's appeal was reportedly rejected. CNN Sports has contacted RFEF and Real Madrid for comment. Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera admitted that the turnaround for Real was not enough for its players to be fully prepared. 'Any person with a little bit of thinking understands that it's not enough time for Madrid to get to the game at 100%,' Herrera told Cadena SER's 'El Larguero' program. 'It seemed like a logical decision for us. 'From my point of view, I think it hurts Real Madrid. … I'm thinking about my work colleagues and if I were in their shoes, I would like people to know I couldn't get to the match at 200%.'
