Medical requirements in force

UEFA representatives are conducting pre-match checks at all match stadiums and futsal halls to ensure that players and officials are provided with the same high quality life-support medical service across Europe. The minimum requirements, drawn up by the UEFA Medical Committee, were approved by the UEFA Executive Committee earlier this year.

UEFA Medical Committee chairman Dr Michel D'Hooghe said: "We are delighted that we have now successfully implemented a standardised medical support criteria across UEFA's competitions, which not only protects the health of players and officials, but also helps team medical staff to have confidence in the quality of the service that they will receive when travelling to play in a different country.

"We have all seen from several incidents in football last season that an organised, equipped and fully functional medical service can be essential to saving lives, and we have an obligation to ensure that everything possible is done to keep players safe.

"One should, of course, not underestimate the financial and logistical challenges that this creates for the host clubs and associations in providing medical staff and equipment," Dr D'Hooghe added. "However, there can be no doubt of the importance of the principle of quality medical care. Any investment that better protects the lives of players and officials at matches is a worthwhile one."

Certain requirements are mandatory for all UEFA competitions from this season. The list includes pitch-side medical equipment, ambulances, medical staff, emergency medical room equipment, pre-match information and pre-tournament information. Other provisions are already mandatory - an emergency medical room in the stadium and the provision of stretchers, while others are mandatory for most of UEFA's competitions, such as the presence of an ambulance.