CUT BACKS

Last updated : 23 September 2002 By editor

Fifa's medical chief believes there needs to be a limit on how many games players are involved in each season to avoid burn-out.

Professor Jiri Dvorak told The Observer: "There are rules about the maximum number of hours per day you can drive a truck, but there are no rules for footballers.

"Guidelines on the number of games that players may play in a season would benefit them by keeping them as healthy as possible."

"Some players at the top clubs in the biggest countries in Europe play 70 games per season. We have realised the magnitude of the problem of injuries and the related cost of players' absences," Dvorak added.