Marcelo Bielsa speaks out strongly against hydration breaks and how they affect football in a viral rant.
Marcelo Bielsa may have summed up the debate about hydration breaks at the World Cup better than anyone.
During the tournament, there are three-minute hydration breaks halfway through each half to help players stay healthy, as part of FIFA’s plan for player welfare.
Referees stop the game at the 22nd and 67th minutes so both teams can drink water. But these breaks have sparked a lot of debate, with fans unhappy even before the World Cup started.
In fact, the boos from fans in the stadiums across the USA, Mexico, and Canada have only gotten louder over the last 10 days whenever the referee calls for a hydration break.
Even TV announcers have started to speak up. BBC commentator Steve Wilson caught attention during Thursday’s 1-1 draw between the Czech Republic and South Africa, hinting that everyone “knew why” the breaks were happening.
Many people think these breaks are really just a way to give broadcasters more chances for commercials, though UK broadcasters have stayed away from adding ads during these breaks.
What’s clear is that hydration breaks are shaking up the flow of the games. Sometimes the momentum of a match changes after a break, which can be good or bad for any of the 48 teams involved.
Uruguay’s manager, Marcelo Bielsa, a longtime football thinker, spoke about hydration breaks for the first time before their match with Cape Verde on Sunday.
The 70-year-old said the breaks “add nothing” to the matches and actually change the whole idea of football as a competition.
He explained, “Playing four halves instead of two changes the way people have always understood football. It doesn’t add anything and takes away a lot. When they split the game, no one thought about how it could affect what makes football so exciting, but only other things I don’t want to get into.”
He added, “Before this, football had its own special qualities. Now it’s different. People love football because of those qualities.”
Other big names have shared their thoughts too. Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk, for example, said the breaks interrupted the flow of the games he watched as a fan.
Van Dijk said, “Hydration breaks are a bit strange because I’ve watched almost all the games so far, and going to a commercial every time isn’t great. For fans watching on TV, it’s not ideal either. If it’s really hot, breaks make sense, but I think it should be decided for each game.”
On the other hand, England’s full-back Nico O’Reilly said the breaks could be useful for getting tactical advice from coaches.
So, hydration breaks are definitely making waves — some like them, others don’t. We’ll see how they shape the rest of the tournament!