SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME 2027
DAY 2 - SUNDAY, 25th APRIL 2027
The main programme will be held in four large spaces: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Galileo, Raffaello. 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
LEONARDO
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Leonardo
Power, stability and performance: the hip & groin connection
Chairs: Khanduja V (UK), Muschaweck U (GER)
| 08:30 | Getting to the core of groin pain in football players: the key drivers | Krutsch W (GER) |
| 08:45 | Looking for a common language: consensus on hip & groin pain terminology | Papadopoulou T (UK) |
| 09:00 | Adductor-related groin pain is king: force versus co-ordination approach | King E (IRL) |
| 09:15 | Giving our best for hip instability in male and female football | Kemp J (AUS) |
| 09:30 | Reach the top after hip arthroscopy | Chahla J (USA) |
| 09:45 | Discussion | |
| 10:00 | End of the session |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Leonardo
Neurocognitive performance and football injuries
Chairs: Bolling C (SUI), Walden M (SWE)
| 10:30 | Seeing the game: visual attention and decision-making under football pressure | Jordet G (NOR) |
| 10:45 | The brain after ACL injury: linking neuroplasticity to football readiness | Grooms D (USA) |
| 11:00 | A moving target: when and how to introduce visual-cognitive challenges after ACL injury | Chaput M (USA) |
| 11:15 | From the clinic to the pitch: integrating neurocognition into rehabilitation and return-to-sport testing | Gokeler A (GER) |
| 11:30 | Training that transfers: combining neuroscience and biomechanics for ACL injury prevention | Myer G (USA) |
| 11:45 | Discussion | |
| 12:00 | End of the session |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Leonardo
The ACL journey: from injury to the top of the world
Chairs: Berruto M (ITA), Hantes M (GRE)
| 12:00 | Are we getting any better in return to performance after ACL injuries in football? | Webster K (AUS) |
| 12:15 | Surgical performance: perfecting ACL reconstruction to reach the top | Sonnery-Cottet B (FRA) |
| 12:30 | "Over the top": integrating surgery and functional recovery | Zaffagnini S (ITA) |
| 12:45 | Reach the top after ACL reconstruction: the ultimate challenge | Tencone F (ITA) |
| 13:00 | Return to performance after ACL injury in female football | Arundale A (USA) |
| 13:15 | Discussion | |
| 13:30 | End of the session |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Leonardo
Achilles tendon complex: from pain to performance
Chairs: Gianakos A (USA), Van Dijk P (NED)
| 15:00 | The Achilles tendon complex: how to deal with the spectrum of clinical conditions | Maffulli N (ITA) |
| 15:15 | Achilles tendon ruptures in professional players: how to get it right | D'Hooghe P (UK) |
| 15:30 | A clinical approach to Achilles tendinopathy: from youth to adult football | Silbernagel K (USA) |
| 15:45 | Breaking the vicious cycle of the "performance drainer" calf injury | Glasgow P (IRL) |
| 16:00 | Back at the top level: full reconditioning for Achilles and calf injuries | Buchheit M (QAT) |
| 16:15 | Discussion | |
| 16:30 | End of the session |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Leonardo
CONFERENCE AWARDS CEREMONY - 2027
16:30 - Follow up Contest winner 2026 Edition
16:35 - Awards Ceremony: BEST CASE REPORT, BEST ACL, BEST WOMEN, BEST ORTHOBIOLOGICS, BEST POSTER
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Leonardo
The real impact of compensatory injuries in football
Chairs: English B (UK), Gouttebarge V (NED)
| 17:00 | Maximising the play span: my 40 years+ experience | Dvorak J (SUI) |
| 17:15 | How compensatory injuries affect the market value of professional players | Hardy A (FRA) |
| 17:30 | The complex interplay between ACL and thigh muscle injuries | Walden M (SWE) |
| 17:45 | Compensatory movement and injury risk in football: a biomechanical perspective | Powers C (USA) |
| 18:00 | Do not create the compensation: treat well the first injury! | Boldrini L (ITA) |
| 18:15 | Managing the risk of subsequent injury in professional football - reach the top | Broman D (UK) |
| 18:30 | Discussion | |
| 18:45 | End of the session |
MICHELANGELO
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Michelangelo
Shoulder dislocation: is it only about stability?
08:30 – 09:15
| CHAIR | Axe M (USA) |
| PRESENTER | Beyond surgery: what is missing to optimise functional outcomes - Compagnoni R (ITA) |
| DEBATERS | Danelon F (ITA) |
| Davies G (USA) | |
| Grasso A (ITA) |
Lumbopelvic control: the missing link
09:15 – 10:00
| CHAIR | Axe M (USA) |
| PRESENTER | Lumbopelvic control: the missing link for football injuries - Surdyka N (USA) |
| DEBATERS | Buckthorpe M (UK) |
| Snyder Mackler L (USA) | |
| Tsapralis K (GRE) |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Michelangelo
ACL treatment: nihil novum sub sole?
10:30 – 11:15
| CHAIR | Arendt L (USA) |
| PRESENTER | Surgical vs non surgical solutions for ACL injuries in football players: are they comparable? - Parker D (AUS) |
| DEBATERS | Borque K (USA) |
| Compagnin A (UK) | |
| Cugat R (ESP) |
Patellar tendinopathy: breaking the vicious circle
11:15 – 12:00
| CHAIR | Arendt L (USA) |
| PRESENTER | Combining biological and functional healing to reach the top - Danelon F (ITA) |
| DEBATERS | Alfredson H (SWE) |
| Silbernagel K (USA) | |
| Zanon G (ITA) |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Michelangelo
Learning from our failures
12:00 – 12:45
| CHAIR | Saris D (USA) |
| PRESENTER | When things do not go as planned: what we can learn - Williams A (UK) |
| DEBATERS | Maestro A (ESP) |
| Margheritini F (ITA) | |
| Sas K (BEL) |
Learning from our victories
12:45 – 13:30
| CHAIR | Saris D (USA) |
| PRESENTER | The trade-offs of success: personal experiences - Fink C (AUT) |
| DEBATERS | Olmo J (UK) |
| Panzeri A (ITA) | |
| Thompson S (UK) |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Michelangelo
ICRS session - Joint restoration between health & football performance
Chairs: Filardo G (ITA), Kon E (ITA)
| 14:00 | The new ICRS ISAKOS AANA mercure consensus on meniscus treatment and joint preservation | Verdonk P (BEL) |
| 14:10 | Cartilage defects in high-performance athletes: do's, don'ts, and pearls of wisdom | Getgood A (UK) |
| 14:20 | Knee cartilage injuries in football players: the ICRS-FIFA-Aspetar recommendations | Papakostas E (QAT) |
| 14:30 | Orthobiologics injectables: joint preservation and return to performance | Sas K (BEL) |
| 14:40 | From performance to healthspan: the role of regenerative approaches in joint restoration | Lattermann C (USA) |
| 14:50 | Discussion | |
| 15:00 | End of the session |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Michelangelo
FIFA session - Emergency care in Football Medicine
Chairs: Massey A (SUI), Serner A (SUI)
| 15:00 | The FIFA Medical set piece | Massey A (SUI) |
| 15:15 | Mistakes in pitch-side emergency care - when, why and what can we do about it | Gordon J (UK) |
| 15:30 | Bridging concussion into FOCUS | Peek K (SUI) |
| 15:45 | Innovating and aligning emergency care in football | Hodgson L (UK) |
| 16:00 | The other half of the game - first response to mental health concerns in football | Burrows K (UK) |
| 16:15 | Discussion | |
| 16:30 | End of the session |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Michelangelo
Orthobiologics in football: from evidence to practice
Chairs: Guillen I (ESP), Marcacci M (ITA)
| 17:00 | Expert opinion, big data and AI: toward a new clinical practice. Can we make it to the top? | Papalia R (ITA) |
| 17:15 | My favourite orthobiologics | Kon E (ITA) |
| 17:30 | The management of in-season cartilage injuries in footballers | Piskopakis A (GRE) |
| 17:45 | The use of PRP in professional players: my key points after thousands of patients treated | Cugat R (ESP) |
| 18:00 | Allogenic stem cells help to restore articular cartilage surface | Nakamura N (JAP) |
| 18:15 | The use of MSCs in football medicine: where are we now? | Cohen C (BRA) |
| 18:30 | Discussion | |
| 18:45 | End of the session |
GALILEO
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Galileo
ACL graft choice: does it really matter?
Chairs: Forssblad M (SWE), Zorzi C (ITA)
| 08:30 | Peroneus longus tendon autograft: a promising graft for ACL reconstruction | Budhiparama N (IDN) |
| 08:42 | Patellar tendon autograft with or without LET is the workhorse | Borque K (USA) |
| 08:54 | Rectus femoris: the new kid on the block | D'Ambrosi R (ITA) |
| 09:06 | Hamstring plus lateral plasty: over the top as the new gold standard? | Bonanzinga T (ITA) |
| 09:18 | All the way to the World Cup: ACL reconstruction for professional players | Leyes M (ESP) |
| 09:30 | Optimising mid-stage rehabilitation to reach the top | Leporace G (BRA) |
| 09:42 | Discussion | |
| 10:00 | End of the session |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Galileo
FIFA session - Female health and performance: supporting teams to reach the top
Chairs: Serner A (SUI), Wilson B (SUI)
| 10:30 | From evidence to implementation - The FIFA National team preparation programme | Wilson B (SUI) |
| 10:45 | Building multidisciplinary support around the female player | Scott D (SUI) |
| 11:00 | The first line of defence: evidence-based screening in women's football | Putukian M (USA) |
| 11:15 | Pelvic health for performance | Brockwell E (UK) |
| 11:30 | The ART of planning for performance and life: fertility in football | Davenport M (CAN) |
| 11:45 | Discussion | |
| 12:00 | End of the session |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Galileo
Frontiers of hamstring injuries in football
Chairs: Van den Steen E (BEL), Van Dyk N (IRL)
| 12:00 | Reach the top after T-junction injuries: from anatomy to the pitch | Schilders E (UK) |
| 12:15 | Exploring the frontiers of hamstring rehabilitation: biomechanics & beyond | Mendiguchia J (ESP) |
| The 5 best Free Communication Abstracts on Hamstring injuries will be selected and included in this session | ||
| 13:20 | Discussion | |
| 13:30 | End of the session | |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Galileo
ISAKOS session - Meniscus injuries in football: a global challenge
Chairs: Espregueira Mendes J (POR), Parker D (AUS)
| 14:00 | The ACL associated meniscus injuries in the football player | Forssblad M (SWE) |
| 14:12 | Advanced meniscus repair: does centralisation matter? | Chahla J (USA) |
| 14:24 | Meniscus allograft transplantation: is the return to play possible? | Zaffagnini S (ITA) |
| 14:36 | Meniscus injuries in football: the South American perspective | Cohen M (BRA) |
| 14:48 | Discussion | |
| 15:00 | End of the session |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Galileo
Protecting young talent
Chairs: Andersen TE (NOR), Ferrer Vidal E (ESP)
| 15:00 | Managing the first patellofemoral dislocation in the youngsters | Ferrua P (ITA) |
| 15:15 | Perfecting the approach to ACL injuries in young football players | Grassi A (ITA) |
| The 5 best Free Communication Abstracts on Youth Football will be selected and included in this session | ||
| 16:20 | Discussion | |
| 16:30 | End of the session | |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Galileo
UEFA SESSION - Prevention as performance: how staying healthy gets players to the top
Chairs: Bahtijarević Z (SUI), Verhagen E (SUI)
| 17:00 | Injury burden and team results across European club seasons | Okholm Kryger K (SUI) |
| 17:15 | Supporting the youth player in getting to the top | Maystre H (SUI) |
| 17:30 | Injury and career trajectories in elite club football | Verhagen E (SUI) |
| 17:45 | Flights, time zones and injury after international windows | Goedhart E (NED) |
| 18:00 | Mental health as cause and consequence of injury in elite football | Cunningham N (UK) |
| 18:15 | Discussion | |
| 18:30 | End of the session |
RAFFAELLO
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Raffaello
The footballer's hip across the career
Chairs: Holmich P (DEN), Papadopoulou T (UK)
| 10:30 | Comprehending the footballer's hip problems through the career stages | Khanduja V (UK) |
| 10:45 | The dynamic evaluation of young football player with a groin issue | Johnson R (UK) |
| 11:00 | FAI in professional footballers: when and how to operate | Gursoy S (TUR) |
| 11:15 | Integrating operative and post-operative care in return to performance after hip injuries | Griffin D (UK) |
| 11:30 | Return to activity after hip replacement in former football players | Della Rocca F (ITA) |
| 11:45 | Discussion | |
| 12:00 | End of the session |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Raffaello
Prepare for performance: recovery strategies in Football Medicine
Chairs: Ahmed O (UK), Clubb J (UK)
| 12:00 | Planning macro, meso and micro cycles: a strategy to optimise recovery | Nayler J (UK) |
| 12:15 | Monitoring and perfecting hydration: the US experience | Miller K (USA) |
| 12:30 | Optimising nutrition to maximise performance | Pincella M (ITA) |
| 12:45 | The role of supplements with a focus on vitamin D in the football player | Banfi G (ITA) |
| 13:00 | From passive to active recovery: what, when and how | Buchheit M (QAT) |
| 13:15 | Discussion | |
| 13:30 | End of the session |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Raffaello
Longevity in football
Chairs: Rosa D (ITA)
| 15:00 | Lifespan, Healthspan, Playspan | Dvorak J (SUI) |
| 15:15 | Longevity in football and beyond: key features and preventive measures | Gouttebarge V (NED) |
| 15:30 | Epigenetic drivers to football medicine | Mandelbaum B (USA) |
| 15:45 | Musculoskeletal medicine and longevity after retirement | Zaslav K (USA) |
| 16:00 | Return to performance after knee replacement | Marcheggiani Muccioli GM (ITA) |
| 16:15 | Discussion | |
| 16:30 | End of the session |
DAY 2 - SUNDAY Raffaello
Gold standard in measuring and preventing AMI
Chairs: Bayrakci Tunai V (TUR), Snyder Mackler L (USA)
| 17:00 | The clinical classification and management of AMI: a practical approach | Sonnery Cottet B (FRA) |
| 17:15 | The brain - knee connection: where it all starts | Grooms D (USA) |
| 17:30 | From inhibition to muscle adaptation: consequences for the quadriceps after ACL injury | Lepley L (USA) |
| 17:45 | Early testing and training to prevent AMI after ACLR | Compagnin A (UK) |
| 18:00 | The influence of AMI on biomechanics after ACLR | King E (IRL) |
| 18:15 | Discussion | |
| 18:30 | End of the session |