SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME 2026
DAY 2 - SUNDAY, 19th APRIL 2026
The main programme will be held in three large spaces: Aristotle, Socrates and Hippocrates. It will be divided in Traditional Sessions, Open Debates and Next Generation Leaders according to the following colour codes.
Traditional Sessions
Open Debates
Next Generation Leaders
ARISTOTLE
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Aristotle
HIP & GROIN INJURIES: FROM DIAGNOSIS TO RTP
Chairs: Griffin D (UK), Papadopoulou T (UK)
| 08:30 | Adductors injuries in the football players | Holmich P (DEN) |
| 08:45 | Hip impingement versus hip instability in the footballer: differences in diagnosis and management | Kemp J (AUS) |
| 09:00 | Role of technology in improving outcomes in hip preservation surgery | Khanduja V (UK) |
| 09:15 | New trends in hip arthroscopy for the football player | Gursoy S (TUR) |
| 09:30 | Debunking the complexity of PLAC injuries | Schilders E (UK) |
| 09:45 | Discussion |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Aristotle
SHIFT IN THE PARADIGM FOR ACL INJURIES
Chairs: Arundale A (USA), Sherman S (USA)
| 10:30 | Return to performance after ACL injury: the true numbers | Webster K (AUS) |
| 10:45 | Return to sport after ACL-R in athletic population: should we add lateral tenodesis? | Hantes M (GRE) |
| 11:00 | Towards a new gold standard for ACL reconstruction? | Zaffagnini S (ITA) |
| 11:15 | From RTP to return to performance | Buckthorpe M (UK) |
| 11:30 | The new era of ACL rehabilitation | Hamrin Senorski E (SWE) |
| 11:45 | Discussion |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Aristotle
FULL PERFORMANCE FOR HAMSTRING INJURIES
Chairs: Bolling C (NED), Krutsch W (GER)
| 12:00 | Squaring the circle: how hamstring injuries prevention influence performance | Van Dyk N (IRL) |
| 12:15 | Applying risk management plans to guide hamstring injury prevention | Bahr R (NOR) |
| 12:30 | Advanced imaging for complex hamstring injuries | Pedret C (ESP) |
| 12:45 | Return to performance after hamstring surgery: state of play | Haddad F (UK) |
| 13:00 | Building robustness: the key for performance | Glasgow P (IRL) |
| 13:15 | Discussion |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Aristotle
RECOVERING ACCELERATION: RTP FOR ACHILLES & CALF
Chairs: Edwards T (NZL), Rosa D (ITA)
| 15:00 | Achilles tendon ruptures: current evidences to reach full performance | Van Dijk N (NED) |
| 15:15 | Key aspects of early stage to maximize RTP after Achilles tendon repair | Silbernagel K (USA) |
| 15:30 | Biomechanical deficits after Achilles repair: where to look and how to address | King E (QAT) |
| 15:45 | Achilles tendon rupture: minimally invasive and percutaneous | Maffulli N (ITA) |
| 16:00 | Do not forget calf injuries: a burden for a footballer's performance | O'Neill S (UK) |
| 16:15 | Discussion |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Aristotle
YOUTH FOOTBALL: THE MOST COMMON INJURIES
Chairs: Gregson W (UK), Putukian M (USA)
| 17:00 | Muscle injuries: ranked first also in youth football? | Tol H (NED) |
| 17:15 | The burden of ACL injuries in the young footballer: a current challenge and what to do | Grassi A (ITA) |
| 17:30 | Protecting the young footballer's hip health | Andersen TE (NOR) |
| 17:45 | Neurological implications of muscle cramping in young players | Miller K (USA) |
| 18:00 | The growing female footballer: any specificity? | Putukian M (USA) |
| 18:15 | Discussion |
SOCRATES
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Socrates
NEVER-ENDING DEBATE: TIME TO RTP AFTER ACLR
08:30 – 09:15
| CHAIR | Arendt L (USA) |
| PRESENTER | How should we navigate the recovery process after ACL reconstruction? - Compagnin A (UK) |
| DEBATERS | Margheritini F (ITA), Thompson S (UK), Tsapralis K (GRE) |
HOW TO ACHIEVE FULL PERFORMANCE AFTER KNEE SURGERY
09:15 – 10:00
| CHAIR | Arendt L (USA) |
| PRESENTER | The ACL-Injured quadriceps is not normal: biological barriers and targeted strategies to promote performance - Lepley L (USA) |
| DEBATERS | King E (QAT), Olmo J (UK), Screpis D (ITA) |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Socrates
THE FOOTBALLER'S SHOULDER: ONLY A GOALKEEPER PROBLEM?
10:30 – 11:15
| CHAIR | Fulcher M (NZL) |
| PRESENTER | Biomechanics behind return to performance - Di Giacomo G (ITA) |
| DEBATERS | Axe M (USA), D'Alessandro P (AUS), Porcellini G (ITA) |
SPINE INJURIES IN THE FOOTBALL PLAYER
11:15 – 12:00
| CHAIR | Fulcher M (NZL) |
| PRESENTER | Spine injuries and back pain in football: intersecting but distinct challenges across the player lifespan- Sheeran L (UK) |
| DEBATERS | Kassarjian A (ESP), Tencone F (ITA) |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Socrates
BACK TO PERFORMANCE AFTER CARTILAGE INJURIES
12:00 – 12:45
| CHAIR | Gouttebarge V (NED) |
| PRESENTER | Back to performance after cartilage injuries - Williams R (USA) |
| DEBATERS | Denti M (SUI), Guillen I (ESP), Sas K (BEL) |
THE NIGHTMARE OF RECURRENT AND COMPENSATORY INJURIES
12:45 – 13:30
| CHAIR | Gouttebarge V (NED) |
| PRESENTER | The nightmare of recurrent and compensatory injuries - Olmo J (UK) |
| DEBATERS | De Carli A (ITA), Surdyka N (USA), Tzouroudis N (GRE) |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Socrates
ICRS CONSENSUS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CARTILAGE, MENISCUS AND ORTHOBIOLOGICS
Chairs: Kon E (ITA), Zaslav K (USA)
| 14:00 | The complex biological status after acute knee injury | Lattermann C (USA) |
| 14:12 | How to manage knee cartilage injuries in football players? The ICRS-FIFA-Aspetar consensus | Papakostas E (QAT) |
| 14:24 | PRP and knee osteoarthritis: when? The ESSKA-ICRS consensus | Filardo G (SUI) |
| 14:36 | Cell-based treatments for knee osteoarthritis: the ESSKA-ICRS recommendations | De Girolamo L (ITA) |
| 14:48 | Discussion |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Socrates
CAN REGENERATIVE MEDICINE HELP RETURN TO PERFORMANCE?
Chairs: Forssblad M (SWE), Marcacci M (ITA)
| 15:00 | The role of osteotomies in joint restoration surgery | Verdonk P (BEL) |
| 15:15 | The new era of regenerative medicine | Saris D (USA) |
| 15:30 | Bone bruise patterns: implications and treatments | Kon E (ITA) |
| 15:45 | Orthobiologics: what players want (and need) | Cohen C (BRA) |
| 16:00 | Cartilage transplantation in athletes: can we really get them back and keep them there? | Cole B (USA) |
| 16:15 | Discussion |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Socrates
MAINTAINING PERFOMANCE WITH CHRONIC INJURIES
Chairs: Alfredson H (SWE), Maestro A (ESP)
| 17:00 | Management of patellar tendinopathy in season: is it possible to maintain performance? | Rio E (AUS) |
| 17:15 | Optimising health and performance of the footballer with FAI syndrome: clinical pearls | Dijkstra P (QAT) |
| 17:30 | What Military Medicine can teach to Football Medicine about chronic conditions | Papadopoulou T (UK) |
| 17:45 | The injury that stole my ‘footballer’ identity | Bolling C (NED) |
| 18:00 | After career: return to sport following knee arthroplasty in former football players | Marcheggiani Muccioli GM (ITA) |
| 18:15 | Discussion |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Hippocrates
HIPPOCRATES
UEFA PERSPECTIVE ON RETURN TO PERFORMANCE: FROM EVIDENCE TO PRACTICE
Chairs: Bahtijarević Z (SUI), Verhagen E (SUI)
| 10:30 | From research to real-world impact: the UEFA approach | Verhagen E (SUI) |
| 10:45 | Menstrual cycle tracking in women's football: from monitoring to action | Van den Steen E (BEL) |
| 11:00 | ACL injury: UEFA guidelines for prevention and rehabilitation | Okholm Kryger K (UK) |
| 11:15 | Safe heading in youth football: implementing the UEFA coaching framework | Meyer T (GER) |
| 11:30 | Return to performance after ACL injury: lessons from UEFA's experience | Verhagen E (SUI) |
| 11:45 | Discussion |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Hippocrates
INNOVATION IN FOOT & ANKLE INJURIES
Chairs: Bayrakcı Tunay V (TUR), Gehring D (GER)
| 12:00 | Innovation in navicular stress fracture management in athletes | Calder J (UK) |
| The 5 best Free Communication Abstracts on Foot & Ankle injuries will be selected and included in this session | ||
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Hippocrates
ESSKA SESSION: ACL PREVENTION AND REHABILITATION
Chairs: Patt T (NED), Prill R (GER)
| 14:00 | Prevention of ACL Injuries | Patt T (NED) |
| 14:12 | Early & mid stage rehabilitation | Hamrin Senorski E (SWE) |
| 14:24 | Late stage and return to sport rehabilitation | Buckthorpe M (UK) |
| 14:36 | Assessments and testing | Prill R (GER) |
| 14:48 | Discussion |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Hippocrates
THE FUTURE OF YOUTH FOOTBALL
Chairs: Gard S (SUI), Patt T (NED)
| 15:00 | Protecting the health of the youth football player | Arendt L (USA) |
| 15:15 | ACL injuries in youth Brazilian football players | Cohen M (BRA) |
| The 5 best Free Communication Abstracts on Youth Football will be selected and included in this session | ||
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Hippocrates
PRESENT AND FUTURE OF ORTHOBIOLOGICS
Chairs: Andrade R (POR), Guillen P (ESP)
| 17:00 | Tricks of the trade in using PRP in football players | Cugat R (ESP) |
| 17:15 | Through the eye of a needle: optimizing therapeutic injections | Johnson R (UK) |
| The 5 best Free Communication Abstracts on Orthobiologics will be selected and included in this session | ||