Trapattoni: Football not a difficult job
Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has hit out at the culture of young players after venting his anger at Celtic striker Anthony Stokes' decision to pull out of his squad due to tiredness.
Trapattoni is unhappy that Stokes has made himself unavailable for the country's four forthcoming international fixtures without visiting the team doctor and used a press conference to push his belief that young players don't know how lucky they are.
"I spoke with our doctor this morning about this,'' Trapattoni said. ''Young players have a fun job. It is not a job like the working man's. It is not a difficult job. For me it is an 11-month holiday. I played 70 games every season - national, championship, Europe.
"It is unbelievable, so we must educate our players. We are lucky and we have to enjoy playing football. It is a fine life. It is a new generation. Sometimes there is more pressure now but players should understand how beautiful our job is. Injuries are injuries, but they should visit our doctor. That is the rule.
"If they are asked by the national team they must go. If they are in hospital or they are dead, that is okay, but if there is an injury they should see our doctor.''
