The risk of injury in a match is ten times higher than in training. Injuries to footballers have an alarming increase

Due to the increasing intensity and number of matches, player injuries are becoming more frequent. This is confirmed by a scientific study commissioned by UEFA from the British Journal of Sports Medicine on the health consequences of playing professional football.

Between 2000 and 2021, there were 2,636 hamstring injuries in a total of 3,909 professional players. In the period analysed, the proportion of these injuries doubled, rising from 12% of all injuries diagnosed in the first season to 24% in the most recent one.

The number of training days lost due to these injuries also doubled. This is an average of thirteen days.

Researchers have tried to figure out the reasons for these increases. They focused on the last eight years. They analysed data collected by the medical staff of 54 European clubs from 20 countries on the time players spent training and playing matches, the periods of absence due to injury, illness or other reasons, and the types of injuries.

They concluded that the main reason for the increase in thigh injuries is the prolongation of seasons in which players play many high-intensity matches. As a result, their bodies are exposed to extreme stress for long periods of time.

According to the authors of the British Journal of Sports Medicine, a bi-monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering sports science and sports medicine, including sports physiotherapy, the risk of injury increases during matches:: is ten times higher than during training.

At the same time, a significant increase in the number and severity of off-field injuries has also been found. In terms of re-injuries of the same type, about 20% of all injuries recorded between 2000 and 2021 are recurrences, more than two-thirds of which are considered premature, i.e. within two months of returning to competition.

In every season over the past two decades, one in five players has missed at least one practice or game due to a hamstring injury. According to research, a typical team with 25 players can expect about eight such injuries per season.

Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine