Top medical and performance professionals from clubs across Europe gathered in Warsaw for the latest ECA Men’s Medical and Performance Advisory Group meeting on 24-25 March 2025. Hosted by Legia Warszawa, the event explored the latest developments in player health, injury prevention and performance management, with presentations from leading practitioners and researchers.
With 56 participants in attendance, the meeting underlined the importance of ECA’s role in fostering collaboration, innovation and evidence-based practices which can safeguard player health and enhancing performance for players of their 745 member clubs.
The discussions began at the Marshall Józef Piłsudski Legia Warsaw Stadium, with a warm welcome from hosts Legia Warszawa and ECA representatives. The opening session, led by Legia Warszawa's Head of Performance Bartosz Bibrowicz, explored how interdisciplinary teams can improve decision-making processes to optimise player care and recovery. Bibrowicz highlighted the importance of fostering close collaboration between medical, performance and coaching staff.
Urszula Somow (Legia Warszawa) followed with an in-depth look at the role of food service dietitians in supporting microcycle periodisation. Her presentation demonstrated how carefully designed nutrition plans aligned with training loads can improve player energy levels, recovery and overall performance.
Rounding off the first day, Clément Le Coz (Paris Saint-Germain) offered valuable insights into PSG’s mental health strategy. His session focused on the growing importance of mental health support in elite football and how clubs can take a proactive approach to player well-being by embedding psychological services into their wider performance programmes. While Prof. Pieter D’Hooghe, chief medical officer at Aspetar shared the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and stem cell therapies within sports medicine
Day two of the event took place at the state-of-the-art Legia Warszawa Training Centre, which has become a key hub for player performance and development. Delegates explored how the centre’s advanced medical and performance resources help players recover more effectively, train more efficiently and prevent injuries.
The morning breakout sessions allowed participants to dive deeper into key areas of player health and injury prevention:
- Dr. José-María Villalón and Dr. Francisco Moya (Club Atlético de Madrid) led a session on concussion management, examining the challenges of balancing immediate care with long-term player welfare.
- Matthew DeLang (FC Nordsjælland) discussed groin pain management in elite football, focusing on prevention strategies across different phases of injury care primary, secondary and tertiary.
- Dr. Peter Catteeuw (Royal Antwerp FC) shared insights on the use of medical and performance data to predict and prevent injuries, stressing how clubs can leverage data to reduce injury risks and improve recovery outcomes.
The final session featured Dr. Piotr Żmijewski (Legia Warszawa), who presented a compelling case study on integrating scientific research into football training processes. Zmijewski illustrated how performance analysis and sports science can enhance both player development and long-term performance.
Reflecting on the event, Bartosz Bibrowicz, Legia Warszawa's Head of Performance said. “We were delighted to host the ECA Men’s Medical and Performance Advisory Group meeting at our stadium and Legia Training Centre. ECA events are always a fantastic platform for exchanging experiences, sharing practical knowledge, and strengthening relationships between clubs.
It was a pleasure to showcase the work and methods of Legia Warszawa’s Athletic Performance Department and to engage in meaningful discussions on player health and performance. We firmly believe that collaboration and knowledge-sharing are essential to driving positive change and enhancing the well-being and performance of players across European clubs.”