S.S.C. Napoli is one of Italy's strongest soccer clubs because its best players are almost always available to play.
This is no accident, as the club's chief doctor says a sex ban keeps players out of harm's way, according to Football Italia.
"Avoiding sexual activity for two days before a game is fundamental to prevent muscular strains, contractions or inflammations," Football Italia reports Professor Alfonso De Nicola told Corriere del Mezzogiorno.
"It is the rule for our squad. There is also a specific work done by my staff and the fitness coaches which is aimed more at prevention than cure.
"The players must be praised for the professional approach they take in their private lives too. They must always continue certain exercises at home that are taught in the training camp."
Napoli's on-field chemistry is key to its recent success. Its water-tight defense and sweeping forward moves require high levels of trust and understanding between the likes of Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik, Gokhan Inler and others.
In 2011-12, manager Walter Mazzarri led the team to victory in the Italian Cup, a fifth place finish in Serie A and the quarterfinal of the UEFA Champions League. A winning start to the current campaign — two wins in its first two league games — has fans dreaming of a first league title since 1990.
But make no mistake, this fruitful period in the club's modern history (it finished sixth, third and fifth in the last three Serie A seasons) has conincided with the sex ban. Perhaps AC Milan, which lost 307 man games because of injury last season, might want to follow suit.
Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O'Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer's Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.
