West Ham United are delighted to confirm the club has taken steps to significantly increase the level of expertise in the key areas of sports science and medicine.
This includes widespread investment in facilities and the arrival of renowned experts such as chief medical officer Nikos Tzouroudis, who has worked for several leading European clubs including Panathinakos in his native Greece, Fiorentina, Verona and Steaua Bucharest. He will take a strategic overview of operations. From Italy, the recruits include a leading Serie A osteopath in Marco Cesarini, who has considerable contacts, and rehabilitation physiotherapist Giorgio Gasparini, who is used to working one-on-one with elite players such as World Cup winners Fabio Cannavaro and Filippo Inzaghi.
This action has come following concerns from the Board and the manager last season about the number of injuries and the recurrence of certain conditions among the first-team squad. As a result, the Board commissioned an independent study from the renowned Sports Performance Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre at Roehampton University into the club's existing operations.
The Board and manager considered that report and other research and made a decision to improve the club's medical set-up by augmenting the significant expertise and experience already offered by existing staff including physiotherapist George Cooper and sports scientists Nick Davies and Alex Dyer. This includes the imminent purchase of a new training ground, installing relevant state of the art equipment at the existing site and, most significantly, this boost in the number of sports science and medical staff.
West Ham United CEO Scott Duxbury said: "The Board and manager have taken these decisive steps to ensure the club has the very best support in place for the entire coaching and playing staff. We sought the best independent advice and over recent months have been looking at home and across the continent for the leading experts in the field. I am delighted we have been able to strengthen our existing operation in this way and am confident the benefits will be considerable."
The club will shortly confirm via whufc.com a full overview of the new West Ham United Medical Centre.