Abstract
Although associations between running performance (RP) with ball possession and team achievement in soccer are often hypothesized, actual knowledge of this association in elite soccer remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate players’ RPs according to ball possession to determine its possible influence on team achievement in the UEFA Champions League (UCL). The players’ RPs (n = 244) were collected during UCL group stage matches (n = 20) in the 2020/21 season using the semiautomatic video system InStat Fitness. Then, players’ RPs were classified according to the specific playing position: central defenders (CD; n = 79), fullbacks (FB; n = 65), central midfielders (CM; n = 55), wide midfielders (WM; n = 28) and forwards (FW; n = 17). RPs were observed in the attacking phase (AP, i.e., when the team was in possession of the ball) and defensive phase (DP, i.e., when the team did not have possession of the ball) of the game, and included the total distance covered (m) and distance covered in different categories: walking (<7.1 km/h), jogging (7.1–14.3 km/h), running (14.4–19.7 km/h), high-intensity running (>19.8 km/h), high-speed running (19.8–25.1 km/h) and sprinting (>25.2 km/h). Team achievement was defined by the total group points earned (TGP) at the end of the group phase of the UCL and by match outcome (win, draw, loss) of single matches. The results indicated that the total, walking and jogging distances covered were negatively and positively associated with TGP (Pearson’s correlations from 0.30 to 0.73; all p < 0.05) in the AP and DP of the game, respectively. Won matches were characterized by significantly lower and higher values of total, walking and jogging distances covered in AP and DP of the game, respectively (F tests: from 7.15 to 22.5, all p < 0.01; all small to medium effect sizes). In addition, RPs in the AP and DP of the game explained only 37.2% of the variance in the TGP. These findings demonstrate that the influence of RP on team achievement in UCL is limited in both the AP and DP of the game.
Highlights
In soccer, running performance (RP) has been extensively studied over the last two decades [1,2]
Negative associations were found between the total, low- and moderate- distances covered during the attacking phase (AP) of the game and the total group points, while the RPs in the defensive phase (DP) of the game were positively associated with the total group points earned at the end of the group stage of the UEFA Champions League (UCL)
This study demonstrated that the central defenders (CD), FB and central midfielders (CM) experienced a greater RP when the team had the ball in their possession, indicating the significant influence of defensive and midfield players in the AP
Summary
In soccer, running performance (RP) has been extensively studied over the last two decades [1,2]. Previous studies have demonstrated that players regularly transit between brief bouts of high-intensity running and longer periods of low-intensity running [1,7]. These performances can be affected by different factors, such as the player’s playing position in the game [8,9,10], physical capacities [7,11,12], tactical formations [13,14] and technical level [15]. It is possible that these inconsistencies might be characterised by differences in the geographical, cultural, historical and social aspects of soccer teams from different countries [24,25,26]
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