Specialization
Health and safety of active and retired professional athletes.
Focus of research
I am a former professional footballer who played 14 seasons in France and The Netherlands. Currently, I am Extraordinary Professor at the Section Sports Medicine of the University of Pretoria, staff member at the Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine department of the Amsterdam University Medical Centers, and Chief Medical Officer at FIFPRO (Football Players Worldwide). My work focusses on a wide range of sports medicine domains being relevant in professional sports (emphasis on football), striving to protect and promote the physical, mental and social health of active and former professional athletes. I am the Chair of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Mental Health Working Group, co-Director of the IOC Programs on Mental Health in Elite Sport, member of the Medical Committee of the Confédération de Football Africaine (CAF), member of the Concussion Expert Group of the International Football Association Board (The IFAB), member of the Medical Expert Group of the French Professional Football League (LFP), member of the Concussion in Para Sport (CIPS) group, and member of the South African Sports Medicine Association (SASMA). I am also member of the Editorial Board of the South African Journal of Sports Medicine.