Doctor! Saying that doctors are a bit limited in terms of personnel, it can be expanded to "medical team". Are they having trouble? Watching matches, I felt like work was idle, because only when a player was injured did they appear. No, that's not it. The feeling that the medical team "only" struggles when having to deal with serious injuries or some cases are somewhat serious... However, reality affirms that their work is more difficult than many other parts of the team and the responsibility is no less great than anyone else.
Their job was described by Robin Chakraverty, a former England doctor, as managing injury risks, trying to combine different desires to achieve good results for players or teams. He said that made the job more interesting. But it was a stressful thrill, standing at the crossroads between the players' health and the needs of the team.
And the pressure is growing with the development of football. The Guardian once wrote that when Manchester United won the treble in 1999, they had only 2 physical therapists and one massage therapist. Currently, there could be up to 25 people working in the medical department at a Premier League club, including doctors, physical therapists, massage therapists, fitness and performance coaches, fitness coaches, rehabilitation coaches and nutritionists.
The effectiveness of the medical department is also assessed based on the team's readiness, the number of injuries throughout the season and the player's ability to return to competition - whether it is done quickly or slowly. That is, they do not only care about players when playing, when practicing, when being injured. They also have to prepare, evaluate, judge, be proactive, and give their views in all situations related to the health of players, that is, not only the professional matter but also the psychology and spirit are very important.
Vietnamese sports medicine, especially in football, despite many challenges, always tries to make important contributions. On the occasion of Vietnamese Doctors' Day (February 27), I would like to express my gratitude and congratulations to those working in health.
