Middendorp Questions PSL Scheduling In Sundowns v Pirates Title Race?

Former Kaizer Chiefs head coach Ernst Middendorp has suggested the "small details" that could have given Orlando Pirates the advantage in the title race with Mamelodi Sundowns.

Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso said that 'the calendar beat us' after they succumbed to a 3-2 defeat to TS Galaxy in their final Betway Premiership encounter, a result which gave Pirates a big moment to seize, of the potential of winning the league title with a match to spare.

Cardoso has been vocal about how their congested schedule has affected their performance and results, especially with their last seven league fixtures squeezed inside 21 days.

During the same period, Pirates have actually played only three matches, something that has not sat well with the Sundowns camp and their fanbase.

Weighing-in on the matter, Middendorp has suggested that such "small details" of fixture congestion has real consequences, compared to teams who have a better "sequencing and recovery time".

"The PSL calendar can (unintentionally) create competitive advantages for one team over another. The calendar should challenge everyone equally!," the German coach wrote on his LinkedIn account.

"Longer recovery windows, fewer travel demands, better sequencing between league and cup or international fixtures, less fixture congestion or preparation time before key matches can significantly influence performance outcomes.

"At a professional level, these are not small details; they affect freshness, injury risk, tactical preparation, training quality and ultimately points," Middendorp commented.

Questions have been raised on why Sundowns were not scheduled to play the last few matches at the same time with other teams in the league, for fairness in the title race as Middendorp alluded as much.

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"The challenge is not whether this happens, it clearly can. The real question is whether scheduling processes consistently protect competitive balance across the league," the German coach continued.

"In elite football, the calendar is never neutral if the recovery, travel and preparation equation is unequal!" the former Chiefs coach added.