Of course they are going to have more downtime than a regular 9-5 person but they are expending vast amounts of energy in their training as well as gym work and that comes before any matches are played. Playing 2 top level matches a week cannot be sustained over the course of a season without a severe dip in form and fatigue
That's what they tell you, but do you not have reservations or doubts based on your own experiences? I've done 6 day weeks before doing manual work, ran to the gym & back every other night and put it in a good 2hrs whilst I was there. I still felt just as fresh the next day, and this went on for almost 3 years and I had 1 or 2 damn good drinking sessions per week as well. I didn't have the whole summer off and I didn't get some weeks off because I wasn't 'picked'.
I don't see how professional athletes can genuinely suffer tiredness as much as we're led to believe. I reckon they do no more than 4 hours training in a day, for no more than 4 days of the week.