This is a Journal Club quiz that can be completed to acquire CPD points. Read the article and complete the quiz that follows.

Abstract

This study aimed to explore how medical staff perceive internal communication quality in elite football teams and its potential impact on injuries and player availability. Medical staff from 36 elite football clubs in 17 European countries provided their insights on internal communication through 77 reports, alongside recording player exposure and injury data. The results revealed that teams with poor communication between the head coach/manager and the medical team (scoring 1-2 on a 5-point scale) experienced significantly higher injury rates and more severe injuries compared to teams with moderate or high communication scores (scoring 3-5). Additionally, teams with low communication scores had lower training attendance (76% vs. 83%) and reduced player availability at matches (82% vs. 88%) when compared to teams with better communication quality. In conclusion, this study demonstrates a clear correlation between the quality of internal communication within elite football teams and injury rates, training attendance, and match availability.

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Quiz details: 70% pass/ 2 attempts