Jim Gottfridsson needs surgery – but is stopped because of his career.
Now many react strongly to the strong words.
– It is unhealthy, says the European players’ union.
It is in a new SVT mini-documentary that Jim Gottfridsson talks about his unknown struggle alongside handball. The Swedish superstar has broken his nose so many times that it seriously affects his private life, not least because he can’t breathe with one nostril, but above all because he suffered from sleep apnea.
Scary revelation
Gottfridsson is disturbed by pauses in breathing when he sleeps, which leads to him being constantly tired during the day. In an interview with Aftonbladet, “Gotte” told, among other things, that he once fell asleep behind the wheel on a highway when the whole family was in the car, and that he “trembles just thinking about what could have happened.” But there won’t be any surgery.
Gottfridsson is not only a big star in Sweden, but also in the club team Flensburg. Given the tight schedule that prevails with international matches, league matches and the Champions League, there is simply no time for Gottfridsson to be away for the five to six months required after an operation. But many are now reacting strongly to Gottfridsson’s honest confession.
Now reacting strongly
Torben Vinther is chairman of the European players’ union, and believes that many players have similar problems to Gottfridsson, and that it is a tough nut to crack.
– It is a problem that we hear from many players. That it is too much. The organizations must have fewer matches, but we see no signs of that, says Vinther to SVT.
Many seem to agree that too many matches are played, as the players don’t even have time for operations that are needed to cope with everyday life. But no one wants to cut back on it now – and besides, there are many in the handball world who play too few matches.
– The players at the top have too many matches and the players at the level below have too few. A player who does not play in the Champions League and national team has maybe 30 games in a season and the gap up to those who play the most is extremely large. It is unhealthy for both club, players and our sport as a whole, says Vinther.
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