“Not knowing what is going to happen with the competitions, not knowing when it can be resumed or if the objectives set at the beginning of the season can be met is very difficult for the players,” explained Lander Hernández, as head of the department of psychology and training at Real Valladolid CF.

For Gamito, it is of great importance to “time out the activities of the day” and “to make a list of those activities that we most enjoy and to schedule them; either at the beginning of the day or at the end.”

This organisation can help to better cope with the COVID-19 outbreak which in many countries is preventing people from walking on the street and other basic outdoor exercise.

As Hernández points out, “This can cause the brain to demand the exercise to which it is accustomed. Not carrying out these activities can increase levels of anxiety so needs to be controlled.”

Training the body as well as the mind

With external pressures particularly high, additional attention must be paid to mental health, a topic that LaLiga players are already accustomed to.

“During day to day training sessions the footballer not only works the physique but is subjected to significant cognitive training,” explained Juan Miguel Bernat from the high-performance psychology department of Levante UD. “Although they are training at home now, if the coaching staff does not continue to provide this training then the player may not switch off mentally.”

This could affect sleep, among many other issues, he notes, adding: “It is important for the technical teams to provide a cognitive workout for the players, for example, an analysis of their season, their areas to improve or a study of rivals.”

Cognitive training is further helped through a sense of competition, particularly within athletes. “Footballers love to challenge themselves, beat rivals and break records” Bernet comments. “In this situation, players can continue being active but can be left without the possibility of competing and therefore without one of their fundamental motivations.”

“You must be aware that although you do not see your rival, you are competing against them every day,” he advises. “You have to make yourself aware that your rivals are in the same situation and that whoever takes the best advantage of these days will return to LaLiga with a competitive edge.”