Fortnite as a danger for footballers

Munich – Many footballers already showed their passion for Fortnite on the pitch. But the addictive potential of the game is obviously causing more and more players to suffer.

The legendary saying of the Northern Irish football legend George Best has been passed down: “I spent a lot of money on alcohol, women and fast cars, the rest I simply squandered.
The stars of today have been busy for quite some time with a new vice off the football pitch: computer games, especially the battle royal shooter Fortnite – with apparently more and more drastic consequences.
The gambling, which sometimes takes nights, is supposed to have more and more negative consequences on performance, and also lack of discipline such as late appearances for training sessions are supposed to accumulate.

Premier League players in therapy because of Fortnite

In the British Mirror, the respected addiction therapist Steve Pope, who has also worked as a psychologist for clubs such as Manchester United and FC Burnley, commented on the subject – and, among other things, noted that even Premier League professionals have already gone into therapy with him because of their gambling addiction.
“I’m currently working with about 50 gambling addicts. At least a quarter of them are footballers – all of them play Fortnite,” explained Pope, who also admitted that not all players suffer from their gaming passion.
According to Mirror, for example, Tottenham Hotspur striker star Harry Kane has completed 3362 Fortnite sessions since July 2017, his teammates Dele Alli (4437) and Kieran Trippier (3760) even more. Nevertheless, the three Englishmen are not only top performers in the club, but also in the national team.
Nevertheless, Pope warns of the dangers of gaming addiction: “While alcohol, drugs, and betting addiction are under observation in football, gaming flies under the radar”.

Fortnite addiction as a threat to professional careers

How dangerous the game can become within a very short time is shown by the example of an anonymous English second league professional who has his say in the Mirror. He only started playing Fortnite in November, and soon after spent whole nights with ten-hour gambling sessions. This meant that he often missed scheduled training sessions the following day.

The fact that stars like Kane and Co. were also enthusiastic about the game spurred him on: “One of my friends played with Harry Kane, then I saw Dele Alli do a Fortnite dance at the goal celebration. The whole world seemed to revolve around Fortnite.”
In the meantime, he was being treated by addiction therapist Pope – and on his recommendation, he minimized his daily Fortnite time to two hours.
Professional gamers spend about eight to ten hours a day in front of the screen, but they are not spared the side effects of their passion either: however, they are often supported by sports psychologists to find an appropriate balance.