Winter Break - Yey or Neigh?

As we reach the conclusion of the final round of matches in Spain, Italy and Germany before the 'Winter Break,' I ask you the question, is the Winter Break a good idea?

From the perspective of the player, I assume that they would be in favour of a break probably because they would be able to enjoy their Turkey dinner, rather than fretting over a match to be played on Boxing Day. However, by living in such a competitive era, I am under know qualms that the managers have their players out training early on Christmas Day.

Speaking as a spectator, I love the matches taking place over Christmas and  New Year. Having been a rugby, as well as football, fanatic for most of my life, the inter-provincial clashes between Ulster, Munster and Leinster are always terrific occasions. Many families make it a tradition to go and support their own team on Boxing Day and often turn it into a weekend away or short break to take the weight of their feet and to celebrate the end of a long year. Similarly, if the rivals in Premier League played each other in game weeks between Christmas and New Year, it would make Christmas, for me, a whole lot better, especially if Manchester United came out with a victory.

On the 22nd December, BBC Sport commentator Conor McNamara tweeted his approval of a Winter Break. He may of said it in a light hearted manner, but a rest for those hard working journalists, I am positive that they would appreciate the week off! Between the dates of 21st December and 1st January, each team will play 4 games - a lot of journeying for fans, clubs and press. 

One problem that could occur if the Winter Break was introduced in England, is clubs organising tours of distant nations in order to fatten their bank accounts. Even though other European clubs do not organise such tours, I wouldn't be surprised if the English clubs took advantage of the time off. After all, it's called a 'break' and this should be a time of recuperation for managers and players alike.

The German, Italian and Spanish leagues all use Christmas and New Year as an excuse to take a break from the hectic footballing calendar. The last gameweek of the year was at the weekend, and saw teams such as Inter, Barca, Juve and Madrid achieve victories and gain invaluable momentum to take into the their time off. The break splits the season up for the players from these leagues will, hopefully, come back invigorated and refreshed in order to push on for a successful campaign. For the English teams, this is probably the busiest time of year as they are required to play several matches in a short space of time, leading to heavy fatigue and the possibility of injuries.

Personally I find it hard to make a decision on what the best decision would be about the 'Winter Break.' Boxing Day matches are a great end to the Christmas period however they don't give the players the respite needed, leaving managers to complain about tiredness and fatigue. Feel free to leave your opinions on this subject, via twitter or through the comments section below.