With concerns being voiced about the potential dangers of staging the 2022 World Cup in the summer heat of Qatar, the Professional Footballers Australia chief executive, Adam Vivian, has questioned the decision to go ahead with an A-League game between Perth Glory and Adelaide United despite the temperature being around 39 degrees at kick-off and 35 degrees when the match finished.
“Some players have since reported heat illnesses, including excessive weight loss, headaches and vomiting,” claims Vivian.
The decision to proceed with the game was seen by some as putting the interests of television before player welfare, but Damien De Bohun, head of the A-League, defended the action, arguing: “We’ve gone to great lengths to take serious medical advice on heat in football, but it’s important to note that the FFA standards are in fact more stringent than FIFA standards and it’s based on medical best practice in both Australia and the United States.”
Even though the kick-off was put back 30 minutes as a precaution, Chris Harold of league leaders Perth had to be substituted within half an hour, suffering from heat exhaustion, as his side went down 2-1.
