Katie McCabe is calling on governing bodies to address the issue of overbooked schedules in women’s soccer.

Katie McCabe, a winger for Arsenal, is hopeful that the governing bodies of football will listen to requests for addressing a problem with a crowded schedule that she believes could harm both players and fans.

The Arsenal football team has sold 58,000 tickets for the upcoming north London derby, following their previous sell-out of 60,160 tickets at the Emirates Stadium for a Women’s Super League match before the recent international break.

According to the captain of the Republic of Ireland, it is important for teams to have enough time to recuperate from the rigorous demands of the elite women’s game in order to perform well on the field and satisfy their fans.

According to statements made to the PA news agency, she believes that in order for us to perform at our peak and provide entertaining games for the large crowds, we must be well-rested.

“Due to the FIFA window and the Euro qualifiers window, it’s amazing that they decided to schedule an international camp during the summer months.”

As football players, our desire is to compete in games, but maintaining a sense of freshness is also important. Despite the challenge, we must persevere.

“Regrettably, as players, we do not have the authority to initiate change. We urge the governing bodies to hear our voice and facilitate necessary changes, as the current approach is inadequate to resolve the issue.”

McCabe agrees with Professional Footballers’ Association CEO Maheta Molango, who recently expressed concerns about Manchester City’s weakened squad in last year’s Champions League final. Molango stated at a summit that they have reached a point where player health is not the only priority, but also maintaining the quality of the product.

The increasing participation of women in sports brings about similar difficulties in scheduling and the well-being of players. This is especially true for those who also compete for their country while playing for successful teams like Arsenal, who are currently ranked third in the WSL and trail behind Chelsea and Manchester City by only three points.

McCabe, like so many in her squad, has just returned from international duty to an injury-depleted Gunners side not just competing for the title but still alive in the Continental Tyres League Cup, which will crown a winner at the end of this month.

The Euro 2025 qualifying matches will start in April, before the end of the WSL season on May 18th. This will be preceded by the FA Cup final and followed by the Champions League final the weekend after that. League leaders Chelsea still have a chance at a quadruple.

The European qualifiers will take place in two batches, with the second one set for the end of May and more in mid-July. While the next WSL season won’t begin until September 21, the team that places third in this season will play in the Champions League during the first week of September.

McCabe has relinquished control over certain factors to those in charge, but she and her colleagues have enthusiastically adopted wearable GPS devices for purposes such as avoiding injuries, tracking fitness and performance, and providing valuable insights for strength and conditioning trainers.

She stated that her team is very competitive and they are always intrigued by the smaller details. For her, reaching certain metrics in a game indicates a strong performance. They also analyze numbers throughout the week to ensure they are properly prepared for games, neither underloaded nor overloaded.

“We focus on the things we can influence and approach each game with a fresh mindset. Every team is capable of gaining points, so let’s begin anew on Sunday.”

Katie McCabe serves as an advocate and financial supporter for STATSports, which is a premier GPS performance tracking company.

– ”

This article is from the website independent.co.uk.