A damning report has uncovered a string of problems many players endured before the Women's World Cup started in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.
The survey of over 250 footballers found 66 per cent of stars who took to the pitch from July 20 onwards were not at their physical peak due to insufficient preparation time, a condensed international match calendar and staffing inadequacies.
Other issues included limited avenues of mental health support.
And once nations were eliminated from the tournament, 86 per cent of players interviewed pointed to insufficient recovery time before re-joining their domestic clubs in Europe, the US or Asia.