in football players
–
Bologna, Italy
Welcome and Introduction
Dear Colleagues,
It is our pleasure to welcome you to the first ESSKA Sports Medicine Focus Meeting, dedicated to Return to Performance following ACL Reconstruction in Football Players, taking place on 26–27 June 2027 at the Isokinetic Campus in Bologna, Italy.
This meeting will bring together orthopaedic surgeons, sports medicine physicians and physiotherapists to explore the pathway from ACL injury to return to performance. Our aim is to connect surgical and rehabilitation perspectives through an open discussion of the decisions that shape a player’s recovery and return to the demands of football.
Over one and a half days, the programme will address injury mechanisms and associated lesions, surgical treatment and acute phase management, strength recovery and movement quality restoration. We will also explore neuroplasticity, the on-field rehabilitation continuum and how football clubs understand and assess return to performance.
Particular attention will be given to the consequences of failed return to performance and secondary injuries, including their economic impact. These discussions will consider professional football across divisions, recognising the importance of these issues for players and clubs beyond the highest level of the game.
We have designed this Focus Meeting around a small group format, with time for questions, close interaction with the faculty and exchange between colleagues from different disciplines. We warmly welcome residents and fellows alongside experienced clinicians, and encourage participants to bring their own questions and clinical experiences to the discussion.
The Isokinetic Campus, with its dedicated sports medicine and rehabilitation facilities, provides a setting closely connected to the everyday challenges of helping athletes return to performance. We look forward to sharing this environment with you and to making this first meeting a valuable opportunity to learn from one another.
We look forward to welcoming you to Bologna in June 2027.Warm regards,Francesco Della Villa and Stefano Zaffagnini
Chair and Co-Chair, with the Organising Committee, Lior Laver and Stefano Di Paolo
The meeting
ACL reconstruction
The ACL injury mechanism and associated lesions, then surgical treatment and management of the acute phase.
Return to performance
Strength management (time is muscle), movement quality restoration, and neuroplasticity and its implications for performance.
Football players
The economic impact of a failed return to performance, the on-field rehabilitation continuum, and how the football club perceives return to performance.
Venue
The meeting takes place at the Isokinetic Campus in Bologna, a centre for sports medicine and rehabilitation where athletes train to return to play.
Registration opening date TBC
Return to performance after ACL reconstruction in football players, in Bologna on 26–27 June 2027. Registration details will be published here.
until the early rate closes on TBC
ESSKA Focus Meeting
Return to performance after ACL reconstruction in football players. Proposed topics; timings to follow.
Scientific programme
Proposed topics. Sessions, speakers and timings will be published here as they are confirmed.
Nothing in this day matches that search.
The discussion also covers secondary injuries and what they mean for professional football.
A practical component, with demonstrations in two groups, is under discussion; its final format will be confirmed.
Faculty
Proposed faculty. Invitations and availability remain to be confirmed.
ESSKA Focus Meeting
The Isokinetic Campus, Bologna.
The venue
The ESSKA Sports Medicine Focus Meeting takes place on 26–27 June 2027 at the Isokinetic Campus in Bologna, with its gardens, its amphitheatre and its dome, alongside the training halls where footballers work on their return to play.
Accommodation
Details of accommodation for participants, including any rooms reserved for the meeting, will be published on this website.
Booking link, room rates, booking conditions and cancellation terms to follow.
Getting to the venue
The public transport route from Bologna Airport to the Isokinetic Campus.
Take the Marconi Express monorail from the airport to Bologna Centrale railway station; trains run every few minutes and the ride takes about 7 minutes. The campus is on the western side of the city, so a taxi from the airport is also a short journey.
Check Marconi Express times and faresRegional trains on lines S1A (towards Porretta Terme) and S2A (towards Vignola) stop at Casteldebole station, the closest station to the campus.
Check train times and ticketsBus lines 19 and 86 stop near Casteldebole station and near the Isokinetic centre, for the last part of the journey.
Check TPER bus routesUse Via Casteldebole, 8/10, 40132 Bologna as your navigation destination. The centre sits beneath the San Luca hill, a few kilometres from the city centre and close to the motorway.
Open in Google MapsPlease check transport routes and timetables before travelling.
ESSKA Focus Meeting
Preliminary fees, in euro. Registration opening date to be confirmed.
Fees
Preliminary fees, in euro
| Category | Early | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| ESSKA members | €250 | €300 |
| Non-members | €300 | €350 |
| Residents and fellows, ESSKA members | €150 | €200 |
| Residents and fellows, non-members | €200 | €250 |
| Students, ESSKA members | €80 | €100 |
| Students, non-members | €100 | €130 |
| Industry | €400 | €500 |
Fees are preliminary and may change. What the fee includes and the cancellation terms will be published here.
Book your place
The link to register will appear here when registration opens.
Opening date TBCAccommodation
Accommodation details will be published on the venue page.
Venue and accommodation
ESSKA Focus Meeting
Sponsorship and partnership opportunities at the meeting.
Sponsorship and partnership
We have a range of sponsorship opportunities available. To find out more, please contact our Corporate Relations Manager.
Compliance
Information on the EthicalMedTech compliance assessment for this meeting will be published on this page.
ESSKA Focus Meeting
For meeting-related enquiries, use the enquiry form below or contact the ESSKA Focus Meetings Organising Team at [email protected].
For sponsorship and partnership, see the Industry page.
General enquiries
Use the enquiry form below, or email the ESSKA Focus Meetings Organising Team.
ESSKA Focus Meetings Organising Team [email protected]
Send a message
Send enquiry opens your email app with your message ready to send to [email protected].