Cost of injuries in European football near US$800 million, report finds

MANCHESTER, England (AP):

THE RISING number of injuries to top football players came at a cost of nearly US$800 million to teams across Europe’s leading leagues last season, according to a report published yesterday.

At a time when there are growing concerns about the number of games players are being asked to play, the Men’s European Football Injury Index found there were 4,123 injuries in the top divisions of England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France in the 2023-24 campaign.

The cost of the injuries was based on the reported salaries of the players concerned and the amount of time they were sidelined for.

The report highlighted a greater strain on clubs as a result of the newly expanded Club World Cup, which will be staged in the United States next year.

The number of injuries has risen year-on-year since the index was first published in 2021, and the latest report said “it would be fair to expect a continuation of this upwards trajectory.

“The squad depth of clubs will continue to be tested, particularly with the impending introduction of the new FIFA Men’s Club World Cup in 2025.”

The index is produced by sports insurance firm Howden. Its publication comes a day after a players’ union and European leagues filed a formal complaint to the European Union against world governing body FIFA.

The 32-team Club World Cup – up from seven – has faced consistent pushback over concerns about player welfare since its new extended format was announced last year.

Last month, Man City midfielder Rodri said players were close to going on strike in the face of increased demands on them – including an expanded Champions League this year. The Spain international suffered a season-ending knee injury days after those comments.

The football index has tracked a rise in injuries even before the expanded Club World Cup and Champions League.

It said there had been 14,292 – excluding COVID-19 – in the top five European leagues dating back to the 2020-21 season. That came at a cost of US$2.5 billion, based on the reported salaries.

Last season alone, the figure was $798 million.

On average, there was an injury every 92 minutes of football involving teams across those leagues.

It found that German teams suffered the most injuries per game (1.72). German teams also made up the top 13 places in terms of injury susceptibility, and accounted for 15 of the top 20.

Of the teams least susceptible to injury, the top four were all from the French league.

The report said there was a “concerning trend” surrounding players under the age of 21, who were sustaining an increase of severe injuries.