Injuries in the world of football .. A worrying rise and millions wasted
Injuries in Europe’s top five leagues rose by 20 percent in the 2021-2022 season,
according to a study published on Wednesday, as voices rose critical of
the packed schedule ahead of the World Cup.
The study, conducted by British insurance broker “Houden”, revealed that
clubs spent a record amount of $ 550 million to treat injuries last season.
The injury cost was calculated by multiplying the player’s daily cost, against
the number of days he was unavailable due to the injury.
The study pointed out that the players most vulnerable to injury are strikers
and those over the age of thirty, with each player exposed to an average of
more than two injuries per season.
And the professional players’ union, FIFPro, says a new structure must
put in place to reduce player attrition.
For the first time this year, the European season will temporarily suspended
for a major tournament, the World Cup in Qatar, causing more crowds in
the matches before and after the World Cup, which begins on November 20.
The European Football Association (UEFA) raised the number of competitive
matches to replace the friendly matches with the launch of the Nations League
to the international table in 2018 and the increase in the number of matches
in European club competitions from 2024.
The International Federation of the game (FIFA) has also raised the number
of teams participating in the World Cup to 48 as of 2026.
The English Premier League incurred the highest cost of injuries among the major
leagues with around 185 million pounds, followed by the Spanish League with 109 million pounds.
The French champion, Paris Saint-Germain, bore the highest cost among the clubs,
amounting to 34 million pounds, or 37 million dollars.
The injuries in the English Premier League reached 1,231 in the 2021-2022 season,
compared to 938 in the previous season.
A worrying rise and millions wasted
