Financial Impact of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in TopEight European Football Championships

Abstract

Purpose: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) rupture is one of the most severe injuries associated with soccer participation. This study aimed to analyze the financial and career impact ACL injuries have on top-level professional soccer players' careers compared to the results with healthy players. Methods: One-hundred ninety-two soccer players who sustained an ACL injury in the top-eight UEFA Championships during three consecutive seasons were enrolled for the study (ACLR group). A healthy control group was matched 1:1 to compare the data to the ACLR group. Outcome measures analyzed included the market value recorded at the time of injury compared to three seasons after return to sport. Results: No significant difference was recorded in the preoperative values (p=0.236). The control group's market value increase was significantly higher than the ACLR group in all the three seasons considered (p<0.05). Conclusion: The mean value of operated players remains unchanged in the first postoperative season and significantly increases after that. This finding confirmed the reliability of the current technique of ACLR in terms of return to sport. However, compared to the control group, the overall increase of the market value is significantly lower, leading to a less optimistic view.