The high cost of football injuries and how to prevent them

Football is without a doubt one of the most popular sports in the world. Although there’s a series of factors that come into play when assessing a sport’s popularity – such as number of fans, how many people watch it, or how many people play it at global level – it appears that soccer is the undisputable leader, achieving cult status with over 4 billion fans and a staggering 265 million people playing it worldwide, according to FIFA’s estimations. 

But as beloved as football may be, one can’t deny it also comes with a fair share of risks and hazards. It’s true that football is not as dangerous as other sports such as boxing, hockey or rugby, but it’s still a demanding team sport played at relentless pace, with plenty of falls, collisions and accidents that can lead to all sorts of injuries, from minor bruises and cuts to severe fractures and concussions. 

Football injuries cause both physical and financial damage, as players often have to go through a lengthy recovery process and the clubs lose large amounts of money for each player who’s unable to perform and has to spend time off the pitch. 

Football injuries cost clubs a lot of money 

Let’s take a look at what happens when football players get injured from the club’s perspective. Recent research conducted by insurance broker Howden revealed that injuries across Europe’s top five leagues – Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A – have seen a significant increase in the first half of the season. The injuries recorded up to 18 January account for nearly 60% of last season's total.

The financial damage suffered by clubs as a result of players’ absence due to injuries has been estimated at about £280m, which is quite a hefty sum to lose, even if top football clubs report a revenue of millions of pounds every year. Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC, and Paris Saint-Germain are among the richest football clubs at the moment, but even they have to deal with major financial losses as a result of the high number of injuries suffered by players on the field. 

Common football injuries 

Football injuries are an inevitable part of the game. As with any sport that involves a certain degree of aggressivity and sustained physical activity, the risk of getting hurt during the game is ever-present. Injuries are also a major reason for retirement for professional football players, so learning about the risks and how to prevent potential injuries from happening can keep players in top physical shape for longer and extend their careers. 

Head injuries 

Football collisions often lead to bumps and bruises in the face, but that’s the best-case scenario. The worst-case scenario, one that is fairly common unfortunately, happens when players suffer concussions as a result of direct contact with another player. Concussions refer to traumatic brain injuries (TBI) that result from a severe impact to the head such as a violent bump, blow, or jolt, leading to temporary disruption of normal brain function. 

Common symptoms of concussions include:

• headache

• sensitivity to light 

• dizziness

• problems with short- or long-term memory 

• nausea and vomiting

• double or blurred vision

Although most concussions are not life threatening, the effects can be quite serious, so immediate medical attention is required. Unfortunately, because signs can be subtle, concussions are often overlooked even by doctors, and as legal experts at Medical Negligence Claims Care explain, that can be classed as medical negligence. 

Although there’s not much players can do to avoid collisions that lead to concussions during the game, preventative measures include limiting heading the ball, and being mindful of opponents while on the field. Wearing special football headgear can also help reduce the impact of the blow and thus lessen the severity of head injuries considerably. 

Knee and calf injuries

Given that in the football practice the legs are the most intensely used part of the body with all the running, dribbling, passing, shooting that players do during a match, it’s no surprise knees and calves are also the most prone to injuries. These types of injuries include:  

• ACL injuries – the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) that runs from the femur to the tibia plays an essential role in stabilising knee joints. ACL ruptures are fairly common in football, as they often happen when players change direction quickly, make a sudden twist, or land awkwardly after a jump. 

• Meniscus tear – the meniscus is a C-shaped cartilage between the shinbone and the thighbone that acts as a shock absorber. Meniscus tears in the knee are just as frequent in football, as a result of forcefully twisting or rotating the knee. This usually happens when players pivot or make sudden stops and turns. 

• Shin injuries – shin splints or medial tibial stress syndrome are as common as they are painful. This occurs when muscles, tendons, and bone tissue in the lower part of the leg get inflamed as a result of repeated stress to the shin bone. Since football players are constantly running, jumping, changing direction, and sometimes receive direct hits in the shins, these injuries are usual occurrence. 

The best thing football players can do to keep knee and calf injuries at bay is to work on strengthening their lower limbs through consistent exercise, warming up before training and matches, wearing shin guards, and stretching after the game. 

Ankle injuries

Sprained ankles are also a common sight on the football pitch, as a result of turning, twisting, or rolling the ankle the wrong way and stretching the ligaments that hold the ankle bones together. 

Ankle injuries happen when players plant their foot awkwardly, or when they change direction suddenly, but playing on uneven surfaces and steeping into a hole also increases the likelihood of this type of injury. 

As you can see, there are many things that can go wrong during a football match, and players are constantly exposed to all sorts of risks, which makes the game both exciting and dangerous. That’s why focusing on reducing and preventing incidents that can lead to injuries is extremely important in football practice, as it can benefit both payers and the clubs’ bottom line.