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Juventus coach Igor Tudor has revealed that ten of his players requested to be taken off during their 1-0 loss to Real Madrid in the FIFA Club World Cup, with sweltering conditions in Miami playing a major role in the Italian side’s round-of-16 exit.
The match, held at the Hard Rock Stadium, saw temperatures climb to 30°C (86°F) with humidity levels hitting 70%, creating a stifling atmosphere that took a visible toll on players from both sides. Gonzalo García’s second-half strike proved decisive, sending Madrid through to the quarterfinals, while Juventus were left to rue the physical demands placed on their squad.
“In the end, 10 players asked to be substituted, 10 players asked to come off. It wasn’t possible; the exhaustion was incredible,” Tudor explained. “There’s the tension of this match, which burns you energy. Then there’s this heat, which really gets to you… and the third thing that completes the conditions today is playing in this humidity, right? These three things together combined.”
Tudor acknowledged that even with squad rotation throughout the tournament, his players were overwhelmed by a combination of weather, fatigue from a long season, and the pressure of facing a top-level opponent. “The conditions were really difficult today,” he said. “Ten players asked me to be replaced. They were really tired.”
“There are a lot of factors that weighed into that. It is the end of a long season and there was a lot of stress on the players that takes their energy. The conditions that they played with were really difficult — the humidity too. All of these conditions make it much more difficult. And the heat — that was another thing that made it more difficult.”
This edition of the Club World Cup, the first to feature 32 teams, has drawn criticism for its scheduling, with many pointing to the severe heat in several host cities as a concern. FIFA has introduced cooling breaks and other measures to address the issue, but complaints from coaches and players have persisted.
Despite the loss, Tudor remained optimistic about the value of the tournament experience. “I think it is time to rest now,” he said. “We will have three weeks of rest, so I don't think it [Club World Cup] will affect us in a negative way. But yes, we need to get some rest, start again and be stronger.”
“The guys really gave it all, we played all our best cards and it wasn’t enough unfortunately. If there are lessons, we know we can compete against some of the best players in the world and it is a precious experience when you play against clubs of a higher level.”
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay / jorono, Unsplash / Maria Bobrova
