Hydration breaks have caused quite the commotion with European football fans.
Mandatory hydration breaks were introduced by FIFA for all 104 matches of the World Cup, regardless of the weather conditions. The breaks are three minutes long and occur in the middle of each half.
The regulator argued that the breaks would provide the athletes with time to rehydrate during matches.
But fans, especially European fans, are furious, believing the break implemented as an advertising opportunity rather than a way to help the players.
This due to the fact that the breaks are sponsored are Powerade. Named as the official sports drink of the FIFA World Cup, Powerade the launched a full scale marketing campaign for the event. According to the sponsor, its campaign aimed to spotlight how the brand supports athletes at every level to achieve the best results.
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It has been widely criticised by fans and when notifications appeared in stadiums it has been booed. Its not just fans that hate it, managers, coaches and football players have also spoken out about it.
Though its also worth mentioning that managers, coaches and football players have also spoken out in favour of the break.
Despite the backlash, FIFA doubled down on its support of the breaks. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement: “There is no additional revenue for FIFA, as all commercial agreements were signed well in advance.
“So, this is not a financial issue for us. For us, it is purely a sporting matter.”
He added: “The main reason is the heat, but we also have to understand that in a competition like the World Cup, played over 39 days, with teams potentially playing eight matches in those 39 days, having a moment to rest is extremely important.
However it is worth mentioning that despite its previous instance that the breaks were to happen in all weather conditions it suspended the break in the recent France vs Iraq game due to adverse weather conditions.
*Photo by Peter Glaser on Unsplash
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