Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has called for timeouts at next summer's World Cup

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has called for timeouts at next summer's World Cup to ensure players remain hydrated.

Prandelli is concerned about how the climate in Brazil will affect players, with temperatures and humidity expected to be high across a number of the cities.

"I'd like to propose timeouts for rehydration breaks," he said. "There are two big problems in Brazil and that is the heat and the humidity, which are worryingly high in certain cities and we felt that during the Confederations Cup."

Italy struggled with tiredness and cramps during last summer's dress rehearsal tournament in Brazil, learning what to expect in 2014 and how to prepare better.

Prandelli feels everybody would benefit from having additional breaks during matches, although simply placing bottles of water behind the goals, like last summer, is not the solution.

"If you look at the video footage [of the Confederations Cup], you see that everybody was dashing for a drink every time there was a corner," Prandelli said at a news conference in Rome on Tuesday, prior to the departure for Friday's draw in Brazil.

"The risk is people will start kicking the ball out for a corner just to have a drink. Timeouts would be better. If we want to provide the world with a spectacle, then we need to give the players the chance to provide it."
FIFA General Secretary Valcke has insisted on the referees' duty to decide on that by declaring that timeouts will remain at the referees' discretion. If the referee or the stadium's medical responsible feel that timeouts are necessary for climatic reasons, they might be included in the match time, as "they have to decide whether the conditions are adequate and how many breaks are needed".