Football Injuries Cost $767 Million in Qatar World Cup Year
- England’s Premier League worst affected, ahead of Bundesliga
- Players spent longer on sidelines in second half of the season
A player taken off the field on a stretcher after receiving medical treatment during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion at Etihad Stadium on Oct. 21.
Photographer: Charlotte Tattersall/Getty ImagesInjuries to European footballers became more severe after the winter World Cup in Qatar last year, contributing to a nearly 30% annual jump in the cost to clubs of seeing their players sit on the sidelines.
The findings come in a report by City of London insurance firm Howden Group Holdings Ltd., which said clubs in Europe’s leading five leagues suffered a €704.9 million ($767 million) hit from injuries last season, up from €553.6 million the previous season. The report calculates the cost of injuries from players’ salaries and the amount of time they are injured.