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For most of the world's footballers, Christmas is a great opportunity to relax. Except in the UK, where for professional players, it is the most intense period.
The second day of Christmas is a day in the British football calendar that is one of the most anticipated, and this season those matches are a prelude to a crazy competition marathon. In one week, each team will play four rounds! The fact that each team played matches today, will play on Wednesday and Saturday, without changing dates, to make it easier and more convenient for TV broadcasting, is a great proof of the firmness of traditions. However, such overcrowded match dates are a reality.
The second Christmas day, known as Boxing Day in English, fell on December 26 this year, which is today, Monday, although traditionally it is the first working day after the first Christmas day. It is also a universal day off. This name (Boxing Day) comes from a 19th-century custom where employers gave Christmas gifts in boxes, called Christmas boxes, to their employees. The tradition of organizing sports matches on that day (which also applies to rugby) is unclear, but probably because initially, football matches, which were initially played at the "village" level, were played on those days. With the advent of modern sports, this system remained (as expected from conservative and snobbish Brits). In the first "Football League" season, held in 1888/89, two matches were played on Boxing Day, a day that is now unimaginable without football.
Previously, matches were played on both December 25 and December 26, when the same opponents met twice at home and away. However, this system was practiced only until 1957. In that year, transport workers began to protest because they were forced to work on Christmas. The last Christmas matches in the English championship took place after two years. Later, due to police protests, the tradition of practicing derbies on Boxing Day, when teams from the same or neighboring cities met, was discontinued. However, this tradition still exists in amateur leagues, as Christmas matches are quite profitable for teams of such level.
Of course, these "festive" matches can be a shock to those who are used to resting and recuperating on similar days, those who focus more on being with family. Also, the fact that there are training sessions on Christmas can be equally surprising. Especially for foreigners. "I understand that Boxing Day is an important part of your football culture," Jose Mourinho said last year. "However, you need to carefully consider whether it is worth playing on the 28th, when players can get injured during matches across the country. "
In 1999, during the second day of Christmas, in a match against Southampton, Chelsea became the first English club in history to field a starting lineup without a single Brit, although local players are more accustomed to "Christmas" football.
Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon once said at the end of his career: "I personally don't object to it very much, it was normal for me for 14 years, but it can be a bit painful when the whole family, except you, sits together in front of the TV with their gifts."
Today, as usual, there was another "Christmas" round of the English Premier League. Although there were quite a few goals scored (28), probably no round will match the "Christmas" round of 1963. Then, a total of 66 goals were scored in ten matches, and Fulham gave Ipswich Town a "gift" under the tree by defeating them 10-1 (still the club record). A few days later, Ipswich players avenged themselves by beating their opponents 4-2. Well, Christmas is a time for miracles.
