Even top class footballers feel the pressure.
Watching them confidently stride across the pitch in front of tens of thousands of chanting supporters, it can be easy to assume that footballers are unaffected by the same pressures we feel in our everyday lives.
We see them play and score, we see the glitzy awards and extravagant unveiling ceremonies, but we very rarely see anything that goes on behind the scenes at major football clubs.
Recent news out of Barcelona however suggests that players – and particularly young stars – are just as prone to nerves and anxiety as everyone else.
The player in question is France international Ousmane Dembele, who joined Los Blagrauna from Borussia Dortmund in the summer for €105 million as a replacement for Neymar.
Dembele was a revelation during his short time in Germany and departed for Barca amid much fanfare, but according to Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo, it has been far from smooth sailing for a player who is provoking so much concern among club chiefs that they have decided to send chefs, club doctors and physios to his home in a bid to ensure optimum conditioning.
Where do Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembélé fit into Barcelona's XI?
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The beginning of his Catalan career couldn’t have begun in a less fortunate fashion, as a serious thigh injury early on required surgery in Finland and four months out of the game.
This rehabilitation period, as well as the lofty expectations awaiting the 20-year-old upon his return, are believed to have contributed to Dembele experiencing nerves and stress since returning to the fold.
Aware of the pressure on the youngster, both the coaching and playing staff at Camp Nou are reported to be sympathetic to his plight, and are willing to give him the time and comfort necessary to help him reach his undoubted potential.
This includes a club chef on hand to cook healthy, balanced meals and to ensure Dembele doesn’t become reliant on fast food, which Mundo Deportivo says has become common in his home when friends come to visit. He also requested a barbecue which the club has provided.
The measures go beyond culinary worries though, as the club have also deployed security guards at his home, as well as club doctors and a physio to visit and monitor his conditioning regularly.
Now, some traditionalists may consider this as “pampering gone too far”, and that is understandable to a point.
But considering the countless young footballers whose careers have gone by the wayside when given too much, too soon, it is heartening to see a club take strides to ensure their player doesn’t succumb to the sort of pressure which would make all but the strongest of us struggle.
