Key result
Excessive match play is linked to ~25 injuries per thousand hours and reduced player availability.
Why the study?
The UEFA Champions League injury study aims to provide comprehensive prospective data on injury incidence and risk factors in male professional football players across Europe.
Comparison
Playing too many matches versus normal match load
Design
Prospective cohort study harmonized with FIFA-UEFA consensus on injury definitions
Follow-up
Eleven seasons (2001-2012)
Authors
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Ligament injury rates fell over 11 seasons in elite football; leaves open targeted strategies for unchanged muscle and severe injury burdens.
Cohort (n=1,500)
Yes
In male professional football, the injury incidence is high, particularly hamstring injuries, and playing too many matches negatively impacts performance and player availability.
Jan Ekstrand (2013) conducted a cohort in Football injuries (n=1,500). Professional football participation (match and training load) was evaluated on Time-loss injuries. Professional male football players experienced an injury incidence of 25 per 1000 match hours, and playing too many matches negatively impacted both performance and player availability.
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