JUST what do football's governing bodies think they are playing at?

Whoever decided to organise a host of 'Mickey Mouse' friendlies slap-bang in the middle of the opening week of the new Premiership season wants carting off to the funny farm -- and quickly!

Once upon a time, getting called up for your country used to be seen as a major honour but these days caps should have a government health warning stitched into the back because international football can seriously damage your health.

Take Blackburn midfielder Tugay, for instance.

After helping to save Rovers from relegation in May, the former Rangers star then flew off to link up with the Turkish squad for whom he performed brilliantly in their march to the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Two weeks later he should then have reported back to Blackburn for pre-season training but manager Graeme Souness recognised his need for a rest and promptly excused him from the club's pre-season tour of Austria and Germany.

Sadly, however, the international powers that be could not find it within themselves to be quite so considerate.

Last Wednesday, barely six weeks after their World Cup semi-final against Brazil, Turkey were back in action in a meaningless friendly against Georgia.

And Tugay was forced to travel all the way back to his homeland to appear just four days after the new Premiership season kicked off.

Is it any wonder, therefore, that he was totally knackered by the time Rovers came to play again at Birmingham the following Saturday?

So just when are UEFA going to realise we are asking too much of our modern day professionals?

I've got every sympathy with Souness in this argument.

Why should Rovers pay a player's wages all year only for him to disappear on international duty and then return in no fit state to play on a Saturday afternoon?

Turkey finished fourth at the World Cup so what more would a friendly victory over Georgia prove to their manager as they prepare for the European Championship qualifiers?

Nothing -- the very definition of meaningless.