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.

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.

- Sergi Roberto: Another Barça player who has been treated by Lempainen.

- 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.