Elite club injury study talks

Elite club doctors and medical experts from across Europe have joined UEFA in Lisbon for the latest UEFA Elite Club Injury Study seminar, which centred on developments and experiences in dealing with player injuries during the past season. Sporting Clube de Portugal hosted the gathering in the Portuguese capital.

The UEFA Elite Club Injury Study provides clubs, associations and the scientific community with important data that helps them in their own work in treating and preventing player injuries. The study was launched in 2001, and is coordinated by the former UEFA Medical Committee vice-chairman, Professor Jan Ekstrand.

Doctors from the following clubs attended this year's meeting: FC Barcelona, Sporting CP, FC Shakhtar Donetsk, FC Porto, Manchester United FC, Juventus, AFC Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Arsenal FC, Real Madrid CF, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, AS Roma, Paris Saint-Germain, Galatasaray AŞ, FC Basel 1893, RSC Anderlecht, NK Maribor and Club Atlético de Madrid.

The seminar focused on a variety of issues, including internal communication within clubs, the effects of a change of manager/coach on injuries in clubs, and measurement of load and its correlation with injury data. Major attention was given to the Rate of Perceived Exhaustion scale (RPE), which will be an essential part of the Injury Study next year, as well as the potential well-being study.

UEFA announced that it will set up a working group of experts in August to discuss the possibility of correlating performance-related data with the extensive injury study data, in order to enhance injury prevention measures in football.

"This is a unique meeting," said Sporting CP club doctor Frederico Varandas, "with discussions and exchanges between doctors regarding their experiences and injury occurrences throughout the season. The UEFA Elite Club Injury Study is an essential element for the medical team in clubs, and Sporting Lisbon is proud to be part of such a renowned study."

The UEFA Elite Club Injury Study report for 2015/16 will be issued at the end of this month.