Playing football with an amputation? KRC Genk makes it possible with Spronken

21 april 2026 Prothesen

An article appeared on VRT.be – from VRT TV NEWS – about the open training session organised by KRC Genk for their new amputee football team. Lisbet, coordinator at Spronken Orthopaedics, is also quoted in the article.

KRC Genk is still looking for players to put together a full team for the Belgian league by the summer. As an official partner, Spronken Orthopaedics is fully and proudly behind the initiative.

KRC Genk brings amputees off the sidelines

More and more top clubs in Europe have an AMP team, so that sporty people with an amputation or a congenital condition can play football. In Belgium, clubs such as Club Brugge and now KRC Genk are building this inclusive sporting world. KRC Genk is now the second professional club with an amputee football team, and that makes a huge difference to the players.

“We want to bring people together and help them break out of their isolation. Winning the league isn’t that important; participating in society is,” says Eric Gerits, CEO of the KRC Genk Foundation. Amputee football teams consist of seven players: outfield players are missing a leg or part of a leg and play on crutches, whilst goalkeepers are missing an arm or part of an arm.

From hospital to football pitch: the role of Spronken

In hospital and at the physiotherapist’s, there is support after you’ve had to undergo an amputation, but what happens next? “When you go home, you often have to bear that burden yourself,” explains Lisbet Aerts of the Amputee Care Centre by Spronken Orthopaedics. “That’s where we come in. Together with the KRC Genk Foundation, we can now guide interested amputees towards this team.”

“Because an amputation doesn’t stop at the hospital door or the rehabilitation centre, and neither does our support. Spronken Orthopaedics manufactures high-quality, custom-made orthopaedic aids. Athletes, such as Mario Claesen, have a high-tech dynamic leg prosthesis (with an MCK electronic knee) made by Spronken’s Amputation Team – for everyday activities. During the match, Mario and his teammates play on the pitch using personalised football crutches. We supplement the care for our players with braces, orthoses and bandages to make playing football as comfortable and successful as possible.”

Custom-made solutions for elite sport

Athletes with a leg or arm amputation require high-tech aids designed to meet the extreme demands placed on them. The football crutches we developed at Spronken for the KRC Genk AMP Team are therefore no standard product. They feature extra springiness for greater speed and explosiveness, a special wrist strap that keeps the crutch attached to the arm in the event of a fall, and a unique colour and shirt number for each player.

“Spronken Orthopaedics is the go-to partner for Paralympic athletes thanks to the Amputee Care Centre, where specialised, custom-made prostheses are developed using the latest techniques such as 3D printing. Belgian Paralympians rely on our expertise, as do the AMP teams of clubs such as KRC Genk.”

Comprehensive care is more than just a medical aid

At Spronken Orthopaedics, we have believed for over 60 years that orthopaedic care goes beyond the product itself. Our team of prosthetists, technicians, physiotherapists and psychologists supports every patient from the initial fitting through to long-term follow-up. “People push their boundaries here, both on and off the field. As orthopaedic specialists, we are always there for them,” says Lisbet Aerts.

Mario’s message to other amputees is just as clear: “Not everyone would dare to come here, but I would still advise them not to hesitate and to join an amputation team.”

Read the full article on VRT.be and watch the video from the VRT news broadcast.