Football injuries ‘up 20 percent’ in Europe’s top leagues

• Injuries in Europe’s top five divisions increased by 20 percent during the 2021/22 season.
• Clubs paid a record-breaking $550 million for injuries last season.
• The Premier League had the greatest injury expense at £185 million, followed by La Liga at £109 million.

Football injuries in Europe’s top five divisions increased by 20 percent during the 2021/22 season, according to research published on Wednesday, as debates over football’s crowded schedule ahead of the World Cup intensified.

The analysis by insurance brokers Howden found that clubs paid a record-breaking $550 million for injuries last season.

The injury cost was computed by multiplying the cost per day of a player by the number of days he missed due to injury.

FIFPRO asserts that structures must be implemented to restrict player workloads.

For the first time this year, a European season will be interrupted by the World Cup in the middle of the season, producing more fixture congestion either side of the event in Qatar, which begins on November 20.

The inclusion of the Nations League to the international schedule has increased the number of competitive matches, and beginning in 2024, the European regulatory body UEFA will expand European club competitions.

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is expected to follow suit, with the World Cup expanding to 48 teams in 2026.

At roughly £185 million, the Premier League had the greatest injury expense among the top five leagues, with La Liga in Spain a distant second at £109 million.

At £34 million, Paris Saint-Germain incurred the highest injury costs of any team in Europe.

Injuries in the Premier League increased from 938 the previous season to 1,231 in 2021/22.

The permanent adoption of five substitutes per side by football’s governing body, IFAB, is intended to reduce player fatigue.

FIFPRO urges FIFA to mandate minimum recovery periods of four weeks in the off-season and two weeks in the middle of the season for each player.

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