The Football Federation of Macedonia (FFM) was the host and organizer of the first regional seminar on football medicine  "New trends in sports injuries and prevention" held in Skopje from October 25 to 27.

The three-day seminar offered a unique opportunity for the medical staff of the national football associations from the region (Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Turkey) and club doctors and physiotherapists working in Macedonian clubs to share experiences, best practices and challenges related to the most common medical injuries in football and modern methods for their prevention and treatment.

The seminar supported by UEFA through representatives from the Commission for Medicine Luka Aleksic and Dr. Tomislav Vlahovic offered a platform for the exchange of knowledge, innovative research and practical skills, crucial for the advancement of sports medicine and the improvement of athletic performance and health of football players.

The chairman of the Commission for Medicine in the Football Federation  Dr. Nevzat Yonuzi in his opening address, emphasized the importance of the gathering, providing high-level medical services as a top priority, highlighting the key aspects of the gathering:

"The seminar will achieve its goal if it provides an effective forum for all of you to advance knowledge, research and technology in the treatment of sports injuries." Together, we must learn from the mistakes of the past, embrace the opportunities of the present, and shape the future we all want."

"Football is now more than a game. Providing high-level medical services is a top priority, and players' performance and recovery depend on a high level of scientific support provided by experienced professionals. Medical care has become so complex that one person cannot play alone. "Medicine has become a team effort."

"If you don't score goals, you analyze why and think about what you should do in training. It's the same with injuries. If you have a lot of injuries, you need to look at why this is happening. We must listen to the voices of health workers and doctors."

"On my behalf and on behalf of the Football Federation of Macedonia, I thank you for your presence in Skopje and the messages you sent and for sharing your valuable knowledge regarding the best practices for diagnosing and dealing with musculoskeletal injuries, which are often represented in football".

Dr. Nebojsha Nastov, chief doctor of the Macedonian A national team and his colleague from our under-21 selection, Dr. Mihajlo Ivanoski had their lectures and participated in the panel discussions at the seminar together with other doctors, sports medicine specialists and medical professionals dedicated to the improvement of health care in football.

The sessions were led by one of the most renowned experts in the field, Dr. Matiaž Vogrin, specialist in orthopedic surgery from Slovenia, Dr. Biser Bochev, orthopedic specialist and traumatologist from Bulgaria, Dr. Toker Berkin orthopedic specialist and traumatologist from Turkey covering topics such as managing critical aspects of player health, muscle injuries, cardiovascular health, injury rehabilitation and the latest innovations in sports medicine technology. One of the sessions was dedicated to mental health, and Dr. Gheorge Kalpak gave his lecture. Honorable guests at the seminar were also Dr. Resard Halili from Kosovo and Dr. Ilvi Begoli from Albania.Of particular importance were the practical demonstrations and exercises for diagnosing and preventing injuries, where the participants could actively get involved and exchange experiences with colleagues from the region. The acquired knowledge could be checked by working in groups of four selected cases in which the diagnosis and treatment were given by the participants, and the supervisors were the lecturers of the seminar.

All participants received certificates for participation in the seminar, and special certificates of appreciation were awarded to all those who selflessly got involved and helped its maintenance, which is of great importance, and according to the suggestion of both domestic and foreign guests, it is expected to be at the regular annual schedule for medical educations of FFM.