Cesare Prandelli calls for World Cup water breaks

Italy manager Cesare Prandelli has called for FIFA to permit water breaks during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, due fears over the heat in South America.

FIFA have banned water breaks during matches due to the game slowing down and to time-wasting, but, Prandelli believes without water breaks the players will simply time-waste to ensure they can regularly rehydrate during a match.

“You can’t even give players water because FIFA want the bottles near the goalposts, which can only be of use when there are corner kicks,” he said.

“You are risking a situation where teams will kick the ball out for a corner just to drink something.

Italy have already experienced the heat, when they featured in the Confederations Cup earlier this summer, where the side finished third place after beating Uruguay on penalties 3-2.

Prandelli says that the request will be formally submitted within the next couple of days.

“It sounds like a joke but in fact it is really serious. We will make this request in the next two days,” he said.

FIFA has already rejected calls to reconsider its decision to schedule noon kick-offs for some matches in tropical venues.

However, there remains concern that teams playing in the northeastern cities of Fortaleza, Natal, Salvador and Recife will be subjected to temperatures soaring above 30 degrees Celsius.