Niko Mihić, doctor and head of the medical service at Real Madrid, warned of the dangers footballers face due to the congested match schedule. He expressed these views at the 15th World Congress of Sports Medicine, held at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, and also told the Spanish newspaper AS.
Mihić believes that player health must take precedence over competitive interests. He emphasised that rest periods are too short and that the risk of injury is constantly rising. "I have said this several times – if our players were racehorses, there would be protests and accusations of animal cruelty because they are forced to run constantly. But here, no one protests. Matches just keep piling up, and no one asks about the player's condition," Mihić said.
He stressed that this approach must change. "We must raise awareness of the problem and prioritise athlete health over competition. This means reducing the number of matches and allowing players longer rest periods. Players must be given a greater role and decision-making power, as our sport is based precisely on their health. Therefore, health must be above competition," he said.
He also addressed the sharp increase in anterior cruciate ligament injuries, citing match density as one of the key factors. "Players have never played as many matches as they do today, and that is why they are exposed to greater dangers," he said. He warned that women suffer anterior cruciate ligament injuries up to eight times more often than men, but doctors still do not know the exact cause of this difference.
Mihić also spoke about progress in researching the consequences of repeated head impacts. International and European football federations are studying situations that cause concussions, and modern techniques such as blood markers for brain injuries and portable EEG devices could enable more precise diagnostics and better player protection.
He confirmed that medical advances have significantly extended sports careers, citing Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić, Lionel Messi and Novak Djokovic as examples. Advances in surgery and injury treatment allow athletes to return faster and continue competing at ages previously considered too late for professional sport. Mihić also highlighted the importance of tailoring nutrition to each player, noting that Real Madrid uses DNA analysis from saliva to precisely determine players' needs for carbohydrates and iron, as well as the optimal timing for their intake.
