UEFA Introduces Panel Aimed at Improving Understanding of Female ACL Injuries

UEFA is taking proactive steps to address a pressing issue in women’s football: anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. With a new women’s health expert panel and a dedicated ACL injury awareness campaign on the horizon, European football’s governing body is committed to understanding and mitigating the prevalence of these injuries in the women’s game. This initiative represents a significant effort to prioritize the wellbeing of athletes and move the sport forward.

UEFA introduces women’s health expert panel to tackle ACL injuries in women’s football
European football’s governing body, UEFA, has announced the formation of a women’s health expert panel with the aim of addressing the alarming occurrence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in the women’s game. The panel will be working on creating an ACL injury awareness questionnaire for all members of the women’s football community, with the goal of gaining deeper insights into the prevalence of these injuries.

UEFA Chief Medical Officer Zoran Bahtijarevic emphasized the importance of addressing ACL injuries in women’s football for the wellbeing of the athletes and the advancement of the sport. The initiative comes in response to a number of star players, including England’s Leah Williamson and Beth Mead, the United States’ Catarina Macario, and the Netherlands’ Vivianne Miedema, missing the Women’s World Cup earlier this year due to knee injuries.

The announcement marks the beginning of a wider ACL injury awareness campaign, set to kick off in the latter half of 2024, with the aim of promoting the well-being of women’s football players and reducing the occurrence of ACL injuries in the sport.