LONDON: Injuries in Europe’s top five leagues have risen by 20% in the 2021/22 season, according to research published on Wednesday, as arguments intensify over football’s busy schedule ahead of the World Cup.
The Howden insurance brokers study found clubs paid a record injury price of £513m ($550m) last season.
Injury cost was calculated by multiplying a player’s cost per day by the number of days they were unavailable due to injury.
Global players’ union FIFPRO says structures need to be put in place to limit players’ workloads.
For the first time this year, a European campaign will be interrupted by a mid-season World Cup, causing further congestion of games on either side of the tournament in Qatar, which begins on November 20.
European governing body UEFA increased the number of competitive matches with the addition of the Nations League to the international calendar and expands European club competitions from 2024.
World governing body FIFA is set to follow suit, with the World Cup being expanded to 48 teams from 2026.
The premier league had the highest injury cost in any of the top five divisions at nearly £185m, with Spain’s La Liga ranking a distant second at £109m.
French champions Paris Saint-Germain have had the highest injury cost of any club in Europe at £34m.
Premier League injuries have reached 1,231 in 2021/22, up from 938 the previous season.
The permanent adoption of five substitutions per team by IFAB football lawmakers is designed to ease the burden on players.
But FIFPRO is urging FIFA to go further by imposing minimum four-week off-season rest periods and a two-week mid-season break for each player.
The Howden insurance brokers study found clubs paid a record injury price of £513m ($550m) last season.
Injury cost was calculated by multiplying a player’s cost per day by the number of days they were unavailable due to injury.
Global players’ union FIFPRO says structures need to be put in place to limit players’ workloads.
For the first time this year, a European campaign will be interrupted by a mid-season World Cup, causing further congestion of games on either side of the tournament in Qatar, which begins on November 20.
European governing body UEFA increased the number of competitive matches with the addition of the Nations League to the international calendar and expands European club competitions from 2024.
World governing body FIFA is set to follow suit, with the World Cup being expanded to 48 teams from 2026.
The premier league had the highest injury cost in any of the top five divisions at nearly £185m, with Spain’s La Liga ranking a distant second at £109m.
French champions Paris Saint-Germain have had the highest injury cost of any club in Europe at £34m.
Premier League injuries have reached 1,231 in 2021/22, up from 938 the previous season.
The permanent adoption of five substitutions per team by IFAB football lawmakers is designed to ease the burden on players.
But FIFPRO is urging FIFA to go further by imposing minimum four-week off-season rest periods and a two-week mid-season break for each player.
