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Player Burnout
Are soccer players suffering from burn-out? 
"I'm cooked. I can hardly stand up at times. I hurt everywhere."These were the words of Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira, who claimed playing football every week was too much for his body to take.Fifa, the body which looks after football over the world, is also concerned.It's considering a limit on the amount of games footballers can play in a season to reduce the risk of injury and burn-out - a word which is becoming more popular with the papers.However, the clubs aren't too happy about this because it will mean less games and less money.But are footballers suffering from more injuries because they're playing more matches?Is it only a problem in the Premier League? What about footballers in the lower leagues?Are things different in Europe?The Sport Academy looks at the cases of five different footballers in England and Europe to find out the answers.
RAUL
 Raul: Plays an average of one game every four days
Name: Raul
Games in 2001/2 season: 61
Chances of burn-out: 5/5A prodigiously talented striker, Raul is the superstar of Spanish football.The tricky forward was a key player in his nation's passage to both Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup, scoring and assisting in some vital goals. But it is Raul's performances for Real Madrid which have really caught the eye.
In the last year he has scooped both the Champions' League prize and the Uefa Super Cup. But success comes at a price these days.
Despite Real Madrid possessing a big squad of high profile stars, Raul was always in the starting eleven when he is fit. This led to Raul playing 61 games last term for club and country.
Fitness coaches believe this is far too many games for a player who was also sidelined for a while with a thigh strain. This might go some way to explaining why we never saw Raul produce anything like his best form during the World Cup finals for Spain.
He was averaging one game every four days during the football season - and that's not even allowing for his injury problems.
Francesco Totti
 Totti was a regular in the Italian side in the World Cup
Name: Francesco Totti
Games in 2001/2 season: 47
Chances of burn-out: 3/5Italy's golden boy is blessed with a talent only a few players in the world can boast.But despite missing almost two months of last season with a thigh injury, Totti still managed to play in 47 games last season.
Italian clubs were famous for not playing as many games as their counterparts in Europe in the past.But because of the Champions League, top Italian teams are playing more games than ever.
And the constant travelling, training sessions and games are taking their toll on the players.But Italian clubs have always taken a more scientific approach to training than English clubs.
As well keeping the players fit, the clubs monitor their diets and their muscle strength to make sure the players are ready for their next match.
Patrick Vieira
 Vieira is too important at Highbury to be left out
Name: Patrick Vieira
Games in 2001/2 season: 66
Chances of burn-out: 5/5Vieira was the player who started the talk of burn-out after his comments in September.The Frenchman, the rock in Arsenal's solid midfield for the past five years, featured in almost every match for Arsene Wenger's side last season.He would have played even more games had Arsenal not been knocked out of the Champions League.Although he did not need to play in any World Cup qualifiers, as France had already qualified for the tournament in 2002, he still featured in plenty of friendlies.One of those was the controversial 1-1 draw against Australia in Melbourne last November - a match which Wenger didn't want him to play.But despite playing a whopping 66 games last season, Vieira hardly had any major injuries of note.By the time the World Cup arrived, Vieira looked a shadow of the player we see running match after match at Higbury.The fact that the 26-year-old has avoided any kind of major injury has ironically, left him more likely to suffer from burn-out. Especially, playing in a league like the English Premiership which includes 38 league games, the Charity Shield, the FA Cup, the Worthington Cup and the Champions League.And judging by Arsenal's current form, Vieira looks set for yet another long season as Arsenal go searching for even more silverware.
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