Four parts instead of two: the most radical change ever seen in football?

Barcelona"It's a radical change. It changes the essence of the game," says English manager Thomas Tuchel. "I think we won't be able to get rid of it now," adds Dutch defender Virgil Van Dijk. "Basically, we no longer have a football of two halves, now we have four," concludes Didier Deschamps, French manager. This summer's World Cup may go down in history as the one that forever changed this sport. The hydration breaks, theoretically imposed to protect players from high temperatures, have divided the game into four quarters.

"This is what has been decided. And that's why players and coaches adapt to this new reality. We've seen how we can change the game. There's an evident impact," acknowledges Deschamps. The statistics from this World Cup show how hydration breaks have become a sort of timeout where coaches can give instructions and change the game's dynamics. "It's interesting, we need to keep observing how it affects us and how we can use it to improve," reflects Catalan Robert Martínez, Portuguese manager. Many struggling teams can react after these breaks where they rest and are given instructions. Data from the Opta agency explains that in more than half of the matches, the breaks have changed the script of the game. Others don't see it the same way: "I think it contributes nothing and breaks the essence of the game," complains Uruguayan manager Marcelo Bielsa. "They are short breaks, they serve to reiterate what we've already said in the locker room and little else," says German Julian Nagelsmann.

The hydration breaks first arrived at the World Cup in 2014, following players' requests for days when they were made to play in excessive heat. It was then decided to implement a break at the 30th minute of each half if the temperature reached 32 degrees. Now the parentheses are approximately three minutes long, around the 22nd minute. In theory, the idea was also to help footballers when it's hot, but FIFA has mandated that it be done in all matches. This includes when it's cold and also in matches played in covered stadiums where the temperature is controlled. Breaks during which a commercial break is taken on the television signal, which has led to criticism of FIFA.

750,000 euros profit per match

"The breaks are purely a sporting matter," defends president Gianni Infantino. "The main reason is the heat, but we also have to understand that in a competition like the World Cup, played over 39 days, with teams potentially playing eight matches in these 39 days, having a moment of rest is extremely important. We do it to help the players," reasons the Italian leader, who argues that "making these breaks brings no economic benefit to FIFA, we have no extra income, as all commercial agreements were signed well in advance." Experts cited by the BBC, however, explain that money plays a big role in these changes. Television broadcasters with World Cup rights can decide whether to air advertising or not during the break. A commercial slot in the middle of each half can generate profits of 750,000 euros per match for the channel. In a World Cup, the total figure would be over 250 million, if this measure goes ahead.

According to IFAB, the body that oversees the laws of football, the idea of breaks when it's not hot "helps to standardize the conditions under which a tournament is played." That is, as the stoppage can help coaches change the course of a match, IFAB advocates for doing so in all duels, even if it's raining, cold, or the players are not tired. "It's having four halves, more or less," said Tuchel, England's coach. "It can have good things, but it dramatically changes the way we understand our sport," he added. In fact, a good portion of the fans present in the stadiums boo when the game stops, especially Europeans. Others, like Latin Americans, have seen this measure of having four quarters also tested in their club tournaments. "If it's about making money, I have the feeling that this will stay," said the Dutchman Van Dijk. Once this World Cup ends, FIFA will have to assess how the rule changes regarding the use of VAR or these breaks have worked. And depending on what they decide, a football divided into four quarters could become institutionalized.