From Football To Medicine And Back is the first book ever built on more than two decades of scientifically monitoring teams and players in the Champions League, EURO & World Cup. In modern football, injuries are the single biggest threat to success. Tactics do not win trophies if your best players are unavailable. Talent does not matter if it injured and sitting in the stands. Player availability is the hidden key performance indicator (KPI). The science behind nearly 100 long-term Champions League injury studies is translated into practical football language and actionable training solutions. This book shows how improving the communication between coaches and medical staff reduces injuries allowing you to play with your strongest team when it matters most. Inside you will discover:
- Why most injury-prevention strategies fail
- The hidden injury-risk factors many coaches overlook
- How training design directly influences muscle injuries
- A universal framework for return-to-football training
- A shared language that aligns performance and medicine
- Why so many CL players get injured before and after World Cup
This is not just another sports science book. It is a competitive advantage to keep your best players on the pitch. In other words, From Football To Medicine And Back is a must-read for everyone who wants to win!
Professor Jan Ekstrand is a specialist in orthopaedic surgery. He used to be an amateur football player and got his coaching licenses in 1979 before starting his medical studies resulting in his Ph.D. in 1982: Football injuries and their prevention. This was the first study using a randomised controlled study to show sports injuries can be prevented. Ekstrand was the team physician of the Swedish National Football team for 120 matches and part of the bronze medal winning team in World Cup 1994. Ekstrand is a professor in Sports Medicine at the University of Linköping and was a member of the UEFA Medical committee (1992-2015). He led the UEFA Elite Club Injury Studies (2001-2023) publishing 90+ articles.
Raymond Verheijen (1971) was a coach at four World Cups and four Euros with the national teams of The Netherlands, Korea among other countries. At club level, he worked for Manchester City, Chelsea, FC Barcelona, and Feyenoord Rotterdam. Verheijen delivered coaching courses in 100+ countries and published the best-selling books Football Periodisation, Football Coaching Theory, Tactical Principles, Analysing Football and Designing Training Situations for his coach education organisation Football Coach Evolution (FCE).
Product details
Subtitle: Reduce injuries by improving communication between coaching staff, medical staff & other staff members
Authors: Jan Ekstrand & Raymond Verheijen
Language: English
Product details: 336 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9789083070971
Published: May 2026
Publisher: Football Coach Evolution
