HNS holds Regular Medical Symposium

As part of the Symposium, the doctors also went through the third and final part of UEFA's Football Doctor Education Programme (FDEP), which has so far reached more than 50 Croatian football doctors.

HNS's director of competitions and infrastructure Marijan Kustić greeted the doctors in attendance:

"I am happy to see so many doctors are present at this Symposium. I consider medicine an integral part of modern football, and I will reiterate my words from this past summer – the key to success lies not just in the hands of coaches, but in the hands of all those participating, and a key role is played by our medical staff."

Foto: Dražen Patarčić/HNS

This Symposium is one of the many educational activities that have been organized for Croatia's football doctors by HNS's Medical Committee, with the organization of this meeting headed by Committee secretary and licensed UEFA FDEP instructor Dr. Tomislav Vlahović.

"Our aim is to make our courses available to doctors from every county football association and every club in Croatia. We are also planning new CPR courses with the Croatian Institute of Emergency Medicine, and we hope that this knowledge will reach as many members of the Croatian football family as possible," said president of the Medical Committee Dr. Tomislav Madžar.

Doctor of the Slovenian national team Dr. Matjaž Vogrin spoke on the topics of injury prevention and the importance of cooperation between medical and coaching staff, which was reaffirmed by head of HNS's Football Academy Vatroslav Mihačić:

"Everyone who works in football shares the same goal of protecting the player. As someone who has been part of the coaching staff of both national teams and clubs, I know how essential doctors and physical therapists are and how much they help coaches and contribute to team success. Only a club that cares about the health of its players can reach the top."

Foto: Dražen Patarčić/HNS

Dr. Miljenko Franić held a class on rehabilitation, while sports psychologists Igor Čerenšek and Ana Kotzmuth discussed psychology in football. Dr. Zoran Bahtijarević gave lectures on pre-season and pre-competition preparations and anti-doping, while Dr. Boban Dangubić spoke on the topics of UEFA's Minimum Medical Requirements and on head injuries. Dr. Tomislav Madžar elaborated on the process of pre-competition medical check-ups, nutritionist Risto Čebedžija held a class on nutrition and supplements, while the conditioning coach of the men's senior national team Luka Milanović spoke on recovery and training, as well as on cooperation between conditioning coaches and medical staff, and his experiences at two World Cups. The present doctors also took part in discussion groups on the topics of nutrition and supplements, player psychology, and anti-doping.

"I am proud to say that Croatia is among the first UEFA member countries where all three parts of the FDEP course have been completed, and I am proud that this three-part course has its roots in a class held by HNS in Zagreb in 2007. Every doctor who finishes all three parts of this cascaded workshop can share his knowledge with local football doctors, and HNS will always be available to help them in organizing these courses," said national team doctor and third vice-chairman of the UEFA Medical Committee Dr. Zoran Bahtijarević at the end of the Symposium.

Foto: Dražen Patarčić/HNS

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