The doctors are amazed. “Real” and “Barcelona” have lost control over the dressing rooms.

Radical displacement of injuries

The relationship between doctors and footballers has witnessed a radical transformation in recent years, as it has gone from a “one vote” model and absolute medical decision-making in the dressing room to complex conflicts and multiple opinions and parties influencing rehabilitation decisions, which has weakened the control of the clubs’ medical services over the health of their players.

The disappearance of the traditional model

According to a report published by Spanish newspaper AS, the traditional model that relied on the authority of the club doctor as the sole reference for determining diagnosis and rehabilitation periods is beginning to fade.

In the past, players completely trusted the standards of medical staff without a second opinion, as the club doctor managed the player’s health completely and comprehensively in a closed environment and rarely raised public issues, promoting a clear and stable hierarchy.

This model gradually disappeared as football changed at the economic, competitive and media levels, transforming the relationship from a simple linear path into an open and complex process.

The reality of modern football has upset this balance, as the player no longer relies solely on the club doctor, but is surrounded by a system that includes business agents, physical trainers, physiotherapists and sometimes external doctors who intervene in important health decisions, which has led to the weight of the club doctor being reduced.

Agents intervene

Dr. Jose Gonzalez sums up this situation in his statement to the AS newspaper, saying: “Footballers’ agents have increasing influence over them.”

He explained that this influence led to the club’s medical staff moving away from their central role, creating a dynamic where decisions are negotiated between multiple parties, sometimes with conflicting criteria, making the system more vulnerable to conflict and loss of control over the continuity and coordination of treatment.

The consequences of the lack of a medical decision-making unit are directly reflected in the player’s daily life, and Gonzalez admits: “I have operated on players with other doctors without my knowledge,” which shows how the club is losing control over decisions that directly affect a player’s recovery.

The doctor also warned against “excessive medical treatment” and outside interference with players’ agents, noting that frequent massages make muscles “lazy” and more susceptible to injury, given the games’ busy schedules that do not respect the trinity of “training, match and rest”.

Read also: tripartiteBarcelonaUnder threat ahead of El Clasico

“Real Madrid” and “Barcelona” crisis

This conflict is clearly visible at big clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​which have suffered from a backlog of injuries and controversies over medical management.

Rafinha’s case at Barcelona came to light as he chose to complete his rehabilitation with a private trainer in Brazil, away from the club’s control, which affected his fitness at a crucial time of the season, including his absence in the Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid, which coincided with injuries to Gavi, Christensen, and finally De Jong, Lamin Yamal, Yamal and Lamin Yamal.

As for Real Madrid, injuries have left the team without key elements at critical times, such as Thibaut Courtois, who missed the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich and Rodrigo Goes, whose season ended early, in addition to the physical problems of Eder Militao, Arda Guler and Mbappe, adding to the crisis that is becoming a personal impression.

The crux of the crisis is “Who has the power to make the decisions” as the club seeks to quickly reinstate the player while the player tries to protect his career and those around him add layers of complexity.

José González believes that the solution is to restore a clear structure within the clubs, proposing to include clauses in the players’ contracts that oblige them to follow the instructions of the club’s medical staff just to restore the lost balance and avoid the fragmentation of the decision, which always has a negative impact on the player’s health and performance.

Source link