Significant increase

Injuries cost top leagues 732 million euros

Injuries to their professional players cost the top five European leagues a lot of money last season. According to the insurance company Howden, which has published a report for the fourth time, clubs in the German Bundesliga, English Premier League, Spanish LaLiga, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1 had to pay a combined €732 million in wages for players who were absent through injury.

According to the Howden Report, 4,123 injuries were recorded in the five leagues, four percent more than in the 2022-23 season and 37 percent more than in 2020-21. The German Bundesliga was the worst affected, with a professional injured every 52 minutes of play. In the top five leagues combined, this figure was 92 minutes.

Knee injuries, the most common cause of absence, cost the clubs the most at €141 million.

Rise in injuries to U21 players in England
According to the report, serious injuries to U21 players in the Premiere League have risen dramatically. Last season, the average length of absence for young players was 44 days, compared to 26.5 days the season before.