The 2006 World Cup featured 736 players from 32 national teams. On average, players sustained 2.2 injuries per match, which is 0.5 fewer than at the previous World Cup. This was reported by Jiri Dvorak, head of FIFA's medical committee.
The data provided by FIFA's chief doctor is based on a detailed analysis of the matches conducted by the International Football Federation in cooperation with the doctors of all participating teams. 'After each game, we recorded all injuries sustained by the players. This information was provided by doctors present at the stadium,' Dvorak explains. 'Then we reviewed video footage of game situations that resulted in injuries and analyzed them.'
According to the analysis, in most cases players got off with bruises or hematomas. Only in 25% of cases did players suffer serious injuries and had to miss at least one match.
The improvement in medical statistics compared to the 2002 World Cup is not least due to the work of referees. 'I think stricter and more consistent refereeing at the 2006 World Cup matches led to a reduction in unsportsmanlike behavior on the field, as clearly demonstrated by match statistics,' believes Jiri Dvorak.
At the World Cup in Japan and Korea, 25 players suffered head injuries as a result of elbow strikes. FIFA's medical committee, after analyzing the incidents, recommended that the Referees Committee tighten punishment for elbowing at the next tournament. Red cards worked: at the 2006 World Cup matches, only 11 players sustained such injuries.
Dvorak attributes the reduction in the sad statistics not only to the strengthening of punitive measures. The absence of serious injuries is also the result of high-quality team preparation. FIFA's chief doctor named the German team as a role model. German players rarely had to leave the field on a stretcher. 'The more time a team had for training, the better physical shape the players are in. Good shape protects against injuries,' Dvorak believes.
However, despite positive trends, FIFA's medical commission intends to closely study the incidents of the last World Cup in order to make new recommendations for the next championship. The commission will likely criticize those who simulate injuries. According to Dvorak, out of 156 instances where doctors were called onto the field, only 88 had real injuries, the rest were simulation to waste time. In addition, a new type of foul was invented at the 2006 World Cup matches. 'It's something like kung fu – jumping under a player with an outstretched leg,' Dvorak explains. 'This type of trip will definitely be mentioned in our recommendations.'
But for the third time in a row, the football championship went without doping scandals. None of the 500 doping tests showed a positive result. On average, 16 players per team were tested for doping. 'I think we can say with satisfaction: there was no systematic doping at the 2006 World Cup,' summarizes Jiri Dvorak.
«Deutsche Welle»