World Cup Hydration Breaks Didn't Impact Results But Their Future Is Undecided, Top FIFA Official Says

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EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, July 18 (Reuters) - Hydration breaks introduced at the World Cup did not impact the flow of play and had no effect on results of matches but their future is still undecided, Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, said on Saturday.

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Speaking ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at the New York New Jersey Stadium, former Arsenal manager Wenger said FIFA would review the hydration breaks after the tournament, before taking a decision on whether to use them in future competitions.

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FIFA made three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half mandatory in every World Cup match but they were not universally embraced.

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Critics said the breaks, which essentially cut the game into four quarters, impacted the momentum of matches while allowing broadcasters to benefit from commercial breaks for over two minutes. Fans booed during hydration breaks early on in the tournament.

“No,” Wenger told a press conference when asked whether they had any impact on the games. “Sometimes they did not like them and we have to analyse after the World Cup what is the impact.

“It did not look to me that it (hydration break) changed the results of the competition. But we are here to serve people who watch football,” he said.

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COOLER CONDITIONS

During the tournament, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk supported the intent behind the rule in extreme heat, but questioned the need for it in cooler conditions and at covered venues. England coach Thomas Tuchel said they had a bigger impact than initially anticipated and broke the moment of matches.

Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa was even more critical, saying the breaks had added nothing to football while destroying the sport’s cultural essence.

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There were considerable differences in playing conditions during the World Cup, held across Mexico, Canada and the United States, with some matches played in extreme heat and others in much cooler conditions, especially in Canada and Boston.

“In some games it was really needed and because we did not want to make any difference between games we decided to do it (for every match),” Wenger said. “We will have a deep analysis after the competition.”

“In some games where stadiums were covered, people were not happy with it. Medically it was needed in many games. We have not come to a conclusion yet.”

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(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ed Osmond)

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