Sports players struggle with weight control amid coronavirus outbreak

Talking to Belgium’s RTBF, Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard admitted that he is struggling with weight control during his rehab and quarantine in his house in Madrid.

Hazard, who left Chelsea for Real Madrid before this season, was criticized for arriving at the club overweight. Hazard admitted earlier that he had put on 5 kilograms during his summer vacation before joining the club.

Hazard, who had a disappointing season with only one goal, suffered an ankle injury in February and currently is in rehab. The Real Madrid star is struggling not to put on weight after undergoing a weight gain in last summer. “I’m working out with my trainer via video since he can’t visit my place,” said Hazard.

Some clubs are strictly managing what their players eat at home. “I take pictures of my breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day and send the photos to my team nutritionist,” said AS Monaco midfielder Cesc Fàbregas said during an interview with Spanish media Marca. “I’m strictly watching my diet.”

Unlike players in Europe, where group training has been suspended, K-league players in South Korea are having training sessions while following the guidelines to avoid the coronavirus. So they are under less pressure to control their weight. “It is unlikely that the players will put on extra weight since they are training and having intrasquad scrimmages,” said an official from a K-league club. “We’re regularly measuring players’ body fat percentage as well.”


Yun-Cheol Jeong trigger@donga.com