The role of the club in football players' injury prevention and rehabilitation: qualitative interview study with professional female and male players

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate how female and male football players perceive and explain the role of the club in prevention and rehabilitation of injuries. METHODS: The data were collected in semi-structured interviews with professional female and male football players. Interviews were conducted with the help of the interview guide, transcribed and processed according to the thematic framework method. RESULTS: The results are presented through 7 basic themes: Health Support, Injuries Prevention, Injuries Rehabilitation, Impact of Injury on the Psychosocial Components of the Player, Club Relationships and Health Care, Out-of-Club Activities Related to Health, Influence of Finance on Health Care. Male players had a team of health care professionals appropriately equipped for the prevention and rehabilitation of injuries. Female players did not have health support within the club. All further differences arose as a consequence of this basic disparity. Male players talked about the club's health care service as well as the prevention and rehabilitation of injuries as a part of health care. In contrast, for female players, the coach was the only person with whom they were in contact at the moment of injury during the training. The coach often had the role of the doctor, physiotherapist, psychologist, nutritionist, fitness coach, etc. Female players reported about the prevention and rehabilitation of injuries outside of the club. CONCLUSIONS: There are strong disparities within each segment of club's care for the prevention and rehabilitation of injuries between male and female football players. (Cite this article as: Buric J, Kuzmicic S, Pivalica D, Maru"sic M, Hren D. The role of the club in football players' injury prevention and rehabilitation: qualitative interview study with professional female and male players. Gazz Med Ital - Arch Sci