A football player with blue braids and a man in a white coat pose together.

Lasse Lempainen, FC Barcelona's trusted surgeon who will operate on Araujo

The Finnish doctor has already operated on several players from the club on more than one occasion

Who is Lasse Lempainen

Lasse Lempainen is a renowned Finnish orthopedic surgeon, specializing in muscle and tendon injuries. He works at the Mehiläinen Neo Sports Hospital in Turku, Finland, a private center that has stood out for its focus on treating sports injuries. With vast experience, Lempainen performs approximately 350 surgical procedures a year, focusing on knees, ankles, muscles, and especially tendons.

Dr. Lempainen has established a close relationship with FC Barcelona, becoming the trusted surgeon to treat the injuries of several of its players. This collaboration involves weekly medical discussions between Barça's medical team and Lempainen, ensuring continuous and specialized supervision and treatment.

Araujo with blue braids and a light blue Uruguay national team shirt, accompanied by another person in a stadium full of spectators.
Araujo injured with Uruguay | @auf

Notable interventions

  • Ronald Araujo: He has been operated on by Lempainen on more than one occasion, including a recent intervention to treat an avulsion of the biceps femoris tendon.
  • Alejandro Balde: He was operated on by Lempainen, showing Barça's trust in his ability to handle complex injuries.
A football player in a FC Barcelona training uniform on a training pitch.
Balde in a training session | @alejandrobalde
  • Sergi Roberto: Another Barça player who has been treated by Lempainen.
Barça player Sergi Roberto, during a match, wearing the captain's armband
Sergi Roberto in a match with Barça | @sergiroberto
  • Ousmane Dembélé: He has turned to Lempainen's services on several occasions to treat his recurring injuries.

Specialization in tendon injuries

Lempainen's specialization in tendon injuries is crucial for his role with FC Barcelona. Tendons, which connect muscles to bones, are critical and complex structures that require highly specialized treatment, different from muscle injuries.

Lempainen's experience in this area makes him ideal for handling Barça players' tendon injuries.

Good or Bad News?

The fact that FC Barcelona repeatedly trusts Lempainen to operate on its players can be seen in two ways:

  • Good news: Having access to a specialist of Lempainen's caliber ensures that players receive the best possible treatment for complex injuries. This could facilitate their recovery and return to peak performance.
  • Bad news: The frequency with which Barça players suffer tendon injuries is concerning. The high proportion of these injuries could suggest underlying problems in training, physical preparation, or the management of players' workload.