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Professional footballer injury insurance

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 8:15 am
by Bfc
Given the number of injured players Burnley have, who haven’t played for long periods. Can someone confirm if the Club will have injury, sickness insurance cover, to cover the cost of their wages. The wage bill for lost hours of non selection, through injury, will likely run into millions of pounds at Burnley.
I think a Club receives payments, when a player is injured on International duty. But I’ve no idea, if it something Football Clubs have in place.

Re: Professional footballer injury insurance

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 9:02 am
by agreenwood
No idea, but which insurance company would offer that kind of policy without astronomical premiums?

I imagine you could insure against injury completely ending a players career, but long term injuries are pretty common so it seems unlikely any companies would take that risk.

Re: Professional footballer injury insurance

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 9:09 am
by NewClaret
I would doubt it and as greenwood says, I’d have thought the premiums would be so high that we will have paid one way or other over the years.

Paying the salaries of injured players is just a cost of business to a football club. Nothing to worry about.

Re: Professional footballer injury insurance

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 9:19 am
by CrosspoolClarets
The FIFA Club Protection Programme compensates clubs for salaries of players injured during internationals. So Foster and Ekdal to name two would qualify I’d expect.

Re: Professional footballer injury insurance

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 9:36 am
by Burnley1989
Honestly not something I'd ever let concern me.
Remember players are getting injured whilst working on short term contracts, its a whole different ball game (pardon the pun) to standard work place practice. Its a risk from all parties

Re: Professional footballer injury insurance

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 9:42 am
by Spike
Even if clubs would pay the astronomical premiums it would be impossible for the insurance companies to police it

Re: Professional footballer injury insurance

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 11:36 am
by billyhamilton82
I remember when we signed Kevin Reeves from City, the word was that the £100k fee was covered by insurance when he had a career ending injury.

Not sure how true that is, especially when it was obviously an old injury that recurred.

Ironically in the same period of time Joe Gallagher was released by West Ham suposedly had something to do with insurance, he was quite obviously injured.

Again not sure on the truth of the situation just the word going around at the time.

Re: Professional footballer injury insurance

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 11:51 am
by billyhamilton82
Just remembered Gallagher wasn't released by West Ham we paid money for him.

After a quick check, cheeky West Ham received £30k for a player (obviously injured) who they got for nothing.

Re: Professional footballer injury insurance

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 12:37 pm
by ChrisG
My wife used to work for a large global insurance broker. She says it's very common for sports clubs to insure their players. Usually a London market insurer within Lloyds that provides cover

Re: Professional footballer injury insurance

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 1:04 pm
by Brisliam
I've worked as an insurance lawyer in Australia and have, or colleagues at the firm I worked for, represented professional sports players for these sorts of claims. The salaries in Australia are obviously much lower than what professional football players in Europe get but the policies do exist. Syndicates at Lloyds of London were usually the insurer.

Re: Professional footballer injury insurance

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 1:32 pm
by claretspice
My understanding is that it is a thing, and most clubs have it, although I don't know the precise details of what it covers (wages or transfer value and to what extent) and I assume there is a pretty hefty threshold for the policy to be triggered. But I think it is a thing and, as others have said, there is a similar scheme that applies to injuries etc. on international duty.