Italy want water breaks to be a part of next year's World Cup in Brazil. Italy boss Cesare Prandelli warned reporters in Rome that water breaks can only be taken when there's a corner. He argues that the absence of water breaks/ time-outs would lead to farce next summer.
“You can’t even give players water because Fifa want the bottles near the goalposts, which can only be of use when there are corner kicks... “You are risking a situation where teams will kick the ball out for a corner just to drink something... It sounds like a joke but in fact it is really serious. We will make this request in the next two days.”
The attitude to water breaks in USA 94 was nothing short of a disgrace. There's no way we would have lost to the "little Mexicans" had there been water breaks allowed. Then, we would have met Bulgaria in the Last 16, a side we'd have no fear of having trounced them 2-0 in Lansdowne only 7 years earlier.
Then, it would have been onto play Germany, a side we had already beaten that year. For the semi-final we would have met Italy, who, as we saw in that tournament alone, were thoroughly spooked by us. And then the final would have been against a dull, uninspiring Brazil side. All proved impossible because of FIFA's obtuse policy on water breaks.
