Every four years, UEFA sets out a medical framework for European national team football’s premier event.
This year’s EURO 2020 final tournament has brought a unique challenge, owing to the format featuring eleven venues across Europe, as well as the ongoing pandemic, which has added another dimension to medical logistics around the finals.
UEFA published the latest edition of its Medical Regulations at the beginning of 2020.
The first part of the regulations (Articles 3 – 8) focuses on the mandatory medical examination for players, which must be completed by all players registered in all UEFA competitions.
For each EURO tournament, players are requested to undergo the highest level of these examinations, which include special cardiological examination based on guidelines drawn up by the European Society of Cardiology, as well as neurological baseline screening of brain functions to further improve the assessment of potential head injuries and concussions.
The second part of the regulations (Articles 9 – 16) centres on Minimum Medical Requirements (MMRs) for players, team officials, the referee team and match officers, which must be provided for all UEFA competitions including the EURO finals.
These requirements are checked on the day before the match for official training sessions at the stadium, as well as on the matchday itself from the moment the teams arrive at the stadium.
They include the provision of detailed pitchside emergency equipment, the presence of an advanced life support (ALS) ambulance, as well as a pitchside emergency doctor and stretcher crew who must hold a valid ALS qualification recognised in their country of employment.
For every UEFA final tournament, including the EURO, UEFA requests the host association to appoint a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to take charge of all medical services and facilities provided during the tournament.
UEFA EURO 2020’s specific format involving matches at 11 venues meant that 11 CMOs were appointed to take care of each host venue. They were tasked with providing UEFA with a Medical Care Concept, including all medical provisions to be provided during the tournament.
The 11 concepts include important information such as the national health care system, the specificities on importing medicine and the right on practising medicine for participating associating team doctors, as well as all identified medical facilities and services provided for the various UEFA target groups.
The pandemic and the postponement of EURO 2020 for a year meant that for this year, CMOs also had to factor in the specificities of the UEFA Return to Play Protocol (RTPP) with regard to Covid-19 preventions.
UEFA provided each host venue with a specific EURO 2020 Medical Operational Concept (MOC) aiming to confirm and validate with the local authorities the framework of medical, sanitary and hygiene measures for EURO 2020.
