SPORTS2 – University Hospital of Liège and the Laboratory of Human Motion Analysis (University of Liège) have been accredited as FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence. Such accreditations are usually only given to one or two centers in each country.

The FIFA evaluated the expertise of support structures for amateur and high-level sports people, which was set up jointly by the University Hospital  of Liège(CHU) and the University of Liège (ULg) and labeled both institutions as a FIFA Medical Center of Excellence. This outstanding recognition is unique in Wallonia-Brussels. With Roeselare, Liège is the second Belgian center recognized by FIFA. The ULg and CHU center join the select club of 40 similar prestigious centers in the world, like Aspetar (Qatar), Clairefontaine, Lyon, Munich, Rome, Sao Paulo, New York … and the medical department of FC Barcelona!
The FIFA recognition covers a period of 5 years. It is exclusive: there will be no other centers in French-speaking Belgium with the same label during this period. After a careful assessment of skills grouped in SportS² (acronym for Service Multidisciplinary Orthopedics, Rehabilitation, Traumatology, Sports Health) and the Laboratory of Human Movement Analysis (LAMH), the FIFA has decided to integrate the ULg and CHU in its global network of Medical Centers of Excellence.
SportS² brings together physicians, scientists and paramedics from the CHU/ULg specialized in sports and related diseases, injury prevention, the re-athletisation and optimization of sports performance.

The LAMH is as multidisciplinary research team from the Faculties of Medicine and Applied Sciences from the ULg that analyzes human motion for a large scope of applications in medicine, biomechanics, ergonomics, and sports.
The “Liège dossier” met all FIFA requirements: quality of care for footballers and sportsmen, excellence of educational and research missions, and collaborations with proven high level sports clubs.

SportS² is already a partner of Standard Liege, RFC Seraing and RFC Liège and their skills now gain interest from KRC Genk.
SportS², coordinated by Dr. Jean-François Kaux, consolidates the skills developed by the following services: Physical Medicine (Pr Jean-Michel Crielaard), Orthopedic Surgery (Prof. Philippe Gillet), Movement Science (Pr Jean-Louis Crosier ), Physiotherapy (Pr Bénédicte Forthomme) and Pulmonology & Allergy to the stress tests (Pr Thierry Bury).
Dr. Jean-François Kaux commented: “Being part of this network of research excellence in sport is of course a recognition of our skills but especially a great incentive to maintain international excellence on a clinical and scientific level.”
“The FIFA label will bring us even more credibility among elite athletes of Wallonia-Brussels in any sport, and allow us to develop our collaborations with high level sports clubs, and not just in football. ”
“It is also noteworthy that our work with top athletes helps to benefit amateur sport and leisure in the same quality of care. ”