Professional Clubs Research Articles

Practitioners’ perspective of non-contact injury risk factors and injury prevention programming in professional North American male soccer

ObjectiveTo evaluate non-contact injury prevention strategies of professional men's soccer clubs in elite North American league soccer. To understand the application, perceived effectiveness and barriers to implementation. DesignOnline cross-Sectional Study. SettingNorth American elite soccer teams. Participants96 medical and performance support staff of elite North American teams. Main outcome measureThe survey consisted of 20 questions and captured 1) practitioners' demographics; 2) perceptions of risk factors; 3) the use of assessment and monitoring strategies; and 4) perceptions of the implementation of injury prevention programmes’. ResultsInjury prevention programmes were perceived as ‘effective’ (Median 4, Interquartile range 4-4) and reduced injury rates (n = 94, 98%, 95 CI% 93 to 99). A range of potential risk factors were rated as “very important” (4.58 ± 0.52 Likert scale points; mean ± standard deviation). A multi-disciplinary approach to the design, application and monitoring of programmes was generally adopted. Competing training priorities (n = 75, 78%, 95 CI% 69 to 85) and game schedules (n = 71, 74%, 95 CI% 64 to 82) were the most prevalent barriers to injury prevention implementation. ConclusionsInjury prevention programmes were perceived as effective in reducing non-contact injuries. Managing the conflicting priorities between scheduling training, tactical and conditioning goals were considered the key barriers to desired implementation.

Successful sport psychology within 1st team football: Perceptions of senior strategic stakeholders at elite football clubs

This study focussed on the perceptions of senior strategic stakeholders (e.g, sporting director, head of performance, manager, coach) working within 1st team football at elite professional clubs (English Premier League & Championship). Although recent research has made progress within the practitioner professional development literature it has, so far, failed to gain an explicit understanding of the perceptions around ‘successful sport psychology’ or what makes a sport psychologist successful - in their respective sporting environments. Therefore, the main purpose of this research was to gain an explicit insight into what senior strategic stakeholders perceived makes a sport psychologist successful within their role at an elite football club, at 1st team level. Following institutional ethical approval, purposeful sampling was used and semi-structured interviews were conducted with five senior strategic stakeholders. Following data collection, a thematic analysis was conducted and 19 general dimensions were arranged across three phases: (a) knowledge and experiences of sport psychology in elite football, (b) explicit understanding of sport psychology success in elite football and (c) perceived barriers and challenges to sport psychology in an elite football club. In particular, senior strategic stakeholders’ explicit understanding of sport psychology success in elite football included 7 general dimensions: (1) importance of role clarity during induction into new role, (2) success viewed as subjective due to difficulty quantifying influence of work, (3) success perceived as best judged by individuals worked with most closely, (4) preference for club appointed full time sport psychologist, (5) implementation of balanced approach perceived as successful, (6) implementation of forceful approach perceived as unsuccessful and (7) success attributed to positive influence on culture and player performances. Thus, it’s recommended that sport psychologists aspiring to work in applied football contexts should consider the findings of this research to positively influence their entry and/or practice in an elite football environment, at 1st team level. Similarly, it’s equally recommended that senior strategic stakeholders within elite football clubs use these findings to help develop their knowledge and understanding of sport psychology so they’re better informed and aware of the perceived key attributes of successful sport psychology provision within 1st team football. Consequently, this may assist with navigating the diversity of challenges perceived to be associated to the presence of a sport psychologist, within an elite 1st team football environment, and therefore increase and improve utilisation of sport psychology services across players, coaches, and wider footballing staff.

Process mining to investigate the relationship between clinical antecedents and injury risk, severity and return to play in professional sports

ObjectiveThis paper presents an exploratory case study focusing on the applicability and value of process mining in a professional sports healthcare setting. We explore whether process mining can be retrospectively...

Nutrition knowledge, body image and food security risk amongst development rugby league players.

This study aimed to describe the nutrition knowledge, food security risk and eating disorder risk of development male rugby league players. Sixty athletes from one Australian professional rugby league club volunteered. A cross sectional online survey questionnaire consisted of three sections (Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI-3), Nutrition Knowledge and Food Security). All athletes completed the online survey without assistance using a personal electronic device. The mean total knowledge score was 65.7±13.1%. There was a positive relationship between age and knowledge score, P=0.050, r2=0.06. The majority of players had breakfast everyday (N.=45, 73.8%), took pack lunches (N.=33, 55.0%), and had homemade evening meals (N.=55, 91.7%). The majority of players ate more than 1 hour before training (N.=45, 75%) and all players (n=60, 100%) ate within half an hour of training finishing. The majority of participants agreed that nutrition could influence physical and cognitive aspects of nutrition however, skill-based activities were perceived by fewer participants to be influenced by nutrition. The majority (N.=38, 63.3%) had high food security, six (10.0%) had marginal food security, whereas 10 (16.7%) and six (10.0%) had low and very low security respectively. These results show a concerning levels of eating disorder risk, food insecurity and poor nutrition knowledge amongst male development rugby league players. However, it does show that they believe nutrition can impact their health and performance, and they do mostly appear to adhere to the nutrition principals for optimising health and performance.

Effects of flossing technique on ankle mobility and vertical jump performance

ContextFlossing may report benefits on range of motion. However, it's unknown whether flossing using pneumatic tourniquets may influence performance in bilateral countermovement jumping tests. ObjectiveTo analyze the acute effects induced by a flossing protocol with a pneumatic tourniquet placed at the intermalleolar level on jumping ability in basketball players.Study design: cross-sectional study. Methods54 basketball players (mean (SD) 17.16 (1.27) years; 22.23 (1.99) kg/m2) from a professional club were recruited. After a familiarization phase, a pressurized cuff (continuous pressure at 180 mmHg) was placed at the intermalleolar level for 2 min performing plantar and dorsal flexion movements without load. The Leg Motion test and the Countermovement jump were used to measure ankle dorsiflexion and vertical jump height. ResultsAfter the intervention, a significant ankle dorsiflexion improvement was observed in the left leg in males (12.48 (5.08) vs. 13.44 (5.23) cm, p < 0.05) and in both ankles in females (right: 9.59 (3.29) vs. 10.74 (3.34) cm, p < 0.05; left: 9.91 (2.77) vs. 10.96 (2.57) cm, p < 0.05). However, the intervention showed no significant difference in bilateral jumping ability in neither group (p > 0.05). ConclusionsThe application of intermalleolar flossing using pneumatic tourniquet in elite basketball players did not interfere in jumping ability, and it may improve ankle range of motion. These findings may help clinicians make decisions in practice.

Imaging associations enhance the understanding of ECG abnormalities in male Brazilian football players: findings from the B-Pro Foot ECG study

ObjectivesTo evaluate the prevalence of abnormal ECG findings and their association with imaging results in male Brazilian football players.MethodsThe ‘B-Pro Foot ECG’ is a multicentre observational study conducted in 82...

The identification and development of young talent in Spanish soccer academies: A 10-year multi-study follow-up

The nurturing of young players in youth academies is seen as an important step on the way to becoming a full professional in the sport of soccer. This longitudinal multi-study investigation, spanning 2009 to 2021, analysed the career paths of Spanish academy soccer players. It consisted of three studies investigating players’ transition from academy to professional status and the identification of technical skills and psychological traits which could distinguish future professionals from amateurs. The sample involved 198 male academy soccer players (aged 13.5–17.9) from two Madrid-based professional clubs. Study 1 assessed the outcomes of these players a decade after their academy-level evaluations. Studies 2 and 3 focused on the subgroup of 85 players whose playing status could be verified a decade later. Results showed that 12 players (6.1%) progressed to full-time professional soccer. Of these 12, just 7 reached Spain's highest professional league within 10 years of their final academy tests. Significant differences favouring professional players were observed in the trait of ‘self-confidence’, ‘ball reception’, ‘dribbling forward with the ball’ and coaches’ global technical assessments. In conclusion, the chances of academy soccer players achieving professional status are low. Accordingly, providing more developmental opportunities before deselection is crucial to maximise player potential. Coaches could prioritise players’ self-confidence and ball control to increase the conversion rate of academy players to professional status. Furthermore, recruitment of players who are already strong in these attributes could also improve the productivity of talent development pipelines.

Match-play running demands in a female soccer professional club: From academy to professional team

The objective of the study was to examine the match-running load of female soccer players competing at distinct age groups (U15, U18 and senior cohorts) belonging to the same professional club, over a competitive season. The external load variables of the official matches were monitored with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology: total distance (TD), at &gt;18 km·h−1 (running), at &gt;21 km·h−1 (high-speed running, HSR) and at &gt;24 km·h−1 (sprint, SPR) distances, efforts at &gt;85% of the maximal sprint speed (&gt;85% MSS), acceleration load (aLoaD), accelerations (ACC2 and ACC3, &gt;2 and &gt;3 m·s−2) and decelerations (DEC2 and DEC3 &lt;−2 and &lt;−3 m·s−2). Overall, distances covered at running, HSR and sprinting were greater for senior players than their younger peers (U15 and U18; p &lt; 0.05). Regarding HSR and sprints, no difference was found for sprints accumulated by central defender (CD) players in comparison to U18 and U15 ( p &gt; 0.05). In addition, U18 and senior players engaged more often in ACC and DEC, &gt;2 and &gt;3 m·s−2, respectively, than U15 players ( p &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, older female soccer players are exposed to higher match load than their younger peers. These findings could be useful for soccer coaches to design specific speed development programmes across the long-term athletic development pathway.

Predicting Soccer Players' Fitness Status Through a Machine-Learning Approach.

The study had 3 purposes: (1)to develop an index using machine-learning techniques to predict the fitness status of soccer players, (2)to explore the index's validity and its relationship with a submaximal run test (SMFT), and (3)to analyze the impact of weekly training load on the index and SMFT outcomes. The study involved 50 players from an Italian professional soccer club. External and internal loads were collected during training sessions. Various machine-learning algorithms were assessed for their ability to predict heart-rate responses during the training drills based on external load data. The fitness index, calculated as the difference between actual and predicted heart rates, was correlated with SMFT outcomes. Random forest regression (mean absolute error = 3.8 [0.05]) outperformed the other machine-learning algorithms (extreme gradient boosting and linear regression). Average speed, minutes from the start of the training session, and the work:rest ratio were identified as the most important features. The fitness index displayed a very large correlation (r = .70) with SMFT outcomes, with the highest result observed during possession games and physical conditioning exercises. The study revealed that heart-rate responses from SMFT and the fitness index could diverge throughout the season, suggesting different aspects of fitness. This study introduces an "invisible monitoring" approach to assess soccer player fitness in the training environment. The developed fitness index, in conjunction with traditional fitness tests, provides a comprehensive understanding of player readiness. This research paves the way for practical applications in soccer, enabling personalized training adjustments and injury prevention.

Data analytics in the football industry: a survey investigating operational frameworks and practices in professional clubs and national federations from around the world

ABSTRACT The use of data and analytics in professional football organisations has grown steadily over the last decade. Nevertheless, how and whether these advances in sports analytics address the needs of professional football remain unexplored. Practitioners from national federations qualified for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and professional football clubs from an international community of practitioners took part in a survey exploring the characteristics of their data analytics infrastructure, their role, and their value for elaborating player monitoring and positional data. Respondents from 29 national federations and 32 professional clubs completed the survey, with response rates of 90.6% and 77.1%, respectively. Summary information highlighted the underemployment of staff with expertise in applied data analytics across organisations. Perceptions regarding analytical capabilities and data governance framework were heterogenous, particularly in the case of national federations. Only a third of national federation respondents (~30%) perceived information on positional data from international sports data analytics providers to be sufficiently clear. The general resourcing limitations, the overall lack of expertise in data analytics methods, and the absence of operational taxonomies for reference performance metrics pose constraints to meaningful knowledge translations from raw data in professional football organisations.

How do psychological and physiological performance determinants interact within individual athletes? An analytical network approach

ABSTRACT Previous research on sports performance has mostly been conducted: (a) at a single point, or at most, a few points in time, (b) at the group level, and (c) as a causal chain of monodisciplinary predictor and outcome variables. In the present research, we argue and demonstrate that the next important step should be to monitor, analyze, and visualise the dynamic and individual-specific interactions of multidisciplinary determinants of sports performance. Hence, we apply a recently developed analytical approach, that is, (Time-Varying) Vector-AutoRegressive ((TV)-VAR) modelling, which captures the intra-individual interactions and changes of multidisciplinary determinants. We first measured critical psychological (e.g., self-efficacy) and physiological (e.g., heart rate) factors among youth male football (soccer) players at a professional club, on a daily basis across one season. Next, we assessed the temporal dynamics of the factors with (TV-)VAR models and visualised the findings in network graphs. We present the results of two show-cases that demonstrate how multidisciplinary key determinants of sports performance can dynamically evolve across a sports season, that is, interact and change in individual-specific ways over time. Specifically, the results of Player 1 revealed a stable network across the season in which self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of other determinants, whereas this was not the case for Player 2. These new insights improve our understanding of how key determinants of sports performance are dynamically related within individual athletes and may allow practitioners to develop and implement person-specific, targeted, and timely interventions.

Mind the Gap: Comparison of External Load and Load Variation Between a Reserve Team in a 1-Game Week Microcycle and Its First Team in a 2-Game Week Microcycle Within an Elite Professional Soccer Club.

Carpels, T, Scobie, N, Macfarlane, NG, and Kemi, OJ. Mind the gap: comparison of external load and load variation between a reserve team in a 1-game week microcycle and its first team in a 2-game week microcycle within an elite professional soccer club. J Strength Cond Res 38(5): e235-e242, 2024-The aim of this study was to quantify and compare weekly external load and within-week load variation of reserve team players (RES) in a 1-game week microcycle to first team players (FT) in a 2-game week microcycle within the same professional soccer club. External load data were collected between 2017 and 2020 for the following parameters: duration, total distance (TD), total high-speed distance (THSD; >19.8 km·h -1 ), high-speed distance (HSD; 19.8-25.2 km·h -1 ), sprint distance (SD; >25.2 km·h -1 ), number of sprints (number of efforts >25.2 km·h -1 ), number of high-speed efforts (number of HS efforts >19.8 km·h -1 ), meters per minute (m·min -1 ), and high-speed meters per minute (HS m·min -1 ). First team players were subcategorized into starters (ST) and nonstarters (NST). Intergroup differences in cumulative weekly load and weekly load patterns were statistically analyzed, whereas training monotony (TM) was quantified to assess intragroup, within-week, load variation. Reserve team players showed similar weekly loads to ST, apart from significant differences ( p < 0.005) in duration (8%), TD (21%), and HS efforts (16%). Similar to ST, RES showed greater values than NST ( p < 0.0005) for duration (10%), TD (9%), THSD (30%), HSD (26%), SD (45%), sprints (40%), and HS efforts (22%). Weekly patterns in RES were different from ST and NST ( p < 0.05). Training monotony was highest for NST for all parameters, apart from the number of sprints. Reserve team players need to be prepared to cope with cumulative weekly loads and the lack of recovery between games that ST face. However, when RES become NST, effective loading strategies need to be designed within the limits of 2-game week microcycles to ensure continuous development.

The impact of a mid-season FIFA World Cup™ on injury occurrence and patterns in French professional soccer clubs

ABSTRACT This study retrospectively compared the effect of holding the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ (WC) mid-season (season 2022/23) on injury rates and patterns in French Ligue 1 soccer clubs. Epidemiological data in 17 clubs were prospectively recorded by their physicians. Time-loss injuries (injuries leading to a player being unable to fully participate in play over the following 72-hour period) were compared with those reported during a regular season (2021–22). In the WC season, an increase of approximately 23% (training + match-play) was observed for both the total number of injuries and knee, ankle and muscle injuries combined. Incidences for match-play injury overall and for the knee, ankle and muscle regions combined and the hamstrings and calf regions specifically also rose significantly (range: p < 0.05-p < 0.01). These results suggest that injury occurrence and patterns in French L1 soccer clubs were substantially affected during the 2022/23 season when a mid-season WC was held.

INFORMATION SUPPORT FOR THE FINAL GAME BETWEEN THE TEAMS OF PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL CLUBS LIAONING AND CSKA

This article analyzes the rivalry between two professional basketball clubs from diff erent countries Liaoning Bengang and CSKA Moscow in the championship of Zadar (Croatia) in order to fi nd out information about the factors aff ecting the existence and development of teams of professional basketball clubs, methods of optimizing management and appli-cation of information in their training.

Development of Male Soccer Training Model for Primary School Students in Guangzhou City

Background and Aim: Chinese soccer is progressing towards a more organized league structure, with relatively mature standardized systems, institutional models, and market operational mechanisms in place. However, upon closer examination, it's evident that there are still many issues and contradictions within Chinese soccer. This research aims to develop a male soccer training model for primary school students in Guangzhou city. Materials and Methods: This research is survey research. The research involves the following participants: (1) 7 coaches and 70 student athletes from primary school soccer teams, professional soccer clubs, and amateur sports school soccer classes in Guangzhou city, who participated in the questionnaire survey; (2) 7 experts engaged in discussions on the current state of male soccer reserve talent development through interviews; (3) 19 experts involved in the Delphi consensus process to develop the male soccer training model for primary school students in Guangzhou City; (4) 9 experts participating in connoisseurship to confirm the male soccer training model. The consensus data obtained from the study underwent analysis utilizing the median and interquartile range. The analysis criteria were established with a median threshold of ≥ 3.50 and an interquartile range constraint of ≤ 1.50. Results: Based on POLC management principles the factors for developing a male soccer training model for primary school students were divided into four aspects as follows: (1) Planning, which consists of 7 factors; (2) Organizing, which consists of 8 factors; (3) Leading, it consists of 9 factors; and (4) Controlling, it consists of 9 factors. Conclusion: This model grounded in the POLC management principles, aims to provide a framework for the effective and sustainable development of the male soccer training model for primary school students in Guangzhou City. Regular reviews and adaptations in line with these principles will contribute to the program's success in nurturing young talents in both soccer and personal development.

Risk of low energy availability, eating disorders and food insecurity amongst development female rugby league players.

There have been several published studies on the prevalence of low energy availability (LEA) risk amongst North American and European endurance athletes. Yet the prevalence and risk factors amongst rugby league players are less well understood. This study assessed the prevalence of low energy availability risk, eating disorder risk, and food security amongst players from a female National Rugby League squad in Australia. Players from one Australian professional rugby league club volunteered to participate in the study. An online questionnaire was conducted to determine the prevalence of low energy availability (Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire [LEAF-Q]), eating disorder risk (Eating Disorders Inventory [EDI-3]), and food security. Differences between those "at risk" and "not at risk" based on their total LEAF-Q score were determined. Of the 28 players, 64% (N.=18) were at risk of LEA. Raw scores for the EDI-3 subscales, body dissatisfaction (P=0.043), bulimia (P=0.002), composite score (P=0.038), were significantly higher for those at risk and not at risk of LEA. Forty percent of players had some level of food insecurity. The results suggest LEA risk is similar to other populations and those at risk of LEA are more likely to have an elevated clinical risk of eating disorders. Food security is also an issue in this population and could contribute to LEA risk for some. Future research is needed amongst team sports athletes to understand interplay between eating disorder risk and food insecurity with LEA risk.

Constructing a social responsibility system for professional sports clubs based on the perspective of China

AbstractThe development of CSR reflects the level and characteristics of professional sports organizations, and the CSR of professional sports clubs varies among different countries and regions. In order to explore the content of the CSR of Chinese professional sports clubs in a more comprehensive and systematic way, this study organizes previous studies on the CSR of clubs in different countries and regions, and analyzes the differences between Chinese professional sports clubs and clubs in Europe, North America, Japan, and other countries and regions. We collected the opinions of 20 experts through semi‐structured interviews and combined them with the “Five in One” overall layout to construct and explain the CSR system of professional sports clubs in China in the new era, filling the gaps in research on this topic. Research suggests that social economic responsibility, social political responsibility, social cultural responsibility, social construction responsibility, and social ecological responsibility constitute the CSR system of professional sports clubs in China. Within a certain range, the larger the scale and stronger the comprehensive strength of a club, the stronger its ability to fulfill its responsibilities, the more targets it fulfills, and the richer its content. The institutional environment and social awareness may account for this difference, and in a government‐led social environment or in the case of nationalized club ownership, the Chinese plan may be more applicable. Our research not only provides theoretical reference for subsequent research on the CSR content of professional sports clubs but also helps guide the CSR practice of clubs of different sizes, thereby promoting the exploration of diversified CSR development patterns of professional sports clubs in the academic community.

Are all hamstring injuries equal? A retrospective analysis of time to return to full training following BAMIC type 'c' and T-junction injuries in professional men's rugby union.

We aimed to determine whether the anatomical location (intramuscular tendon or T-Junction) of hamstring muscle injuries in professional men's rugby union associates with a prolonged time to return to full training and a higher rate of re-injury/subsequent injury. We reviewed the medical records of an Irish professional rugby union club to identify hamstring muscle injuries incurred across five seasons. Clinicians and players were not blinded to MRI results at the time of rehabilitation. A blinded musculoskeletal radiologist re-classified all included injuries (n = 91) according to the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification framework. Players who sustained an injury with intramuscular tendon involvement required a longer time to return to full training compared to players who sustained an injury without intramuscular tendon involvement (78 days vs. 24 days). Players who sustained a biceps femoris injury with T-junction involvement did not require a longer time to return to full training compared to players who sustained a biceps femoris injury without T-junction involvement (29 days vs. 27 days). Injuries with either intramuscular tendon or T-junction involvement were not associated with an increased rate of re-injury/subsequent injury to the same limb (intramuscular tendon involvement - odds ratio = 0.96, T-junction involvement - odds ratio = 1.03). When a hamstring muscle injury involves the intramuscular tendon, the injured player and stakeholders should be made aware that a longer time to return to full training is likely required. T-junction involvement does not alter the expected clinical course of biceps femoris injuries.

Body Composition Changes in Male and Female Elite Soccer Players: Effects of a Nutritional Program Led by a Sport Nutritionist.

Soccer is a game in constant evolution and the intensity of play is increasing. Nutrition can play a role in the physical performance of elite players, maintaining their health and facilitating recovery. It is important to cover players' energy demands, and low energy availability may therefore result in impaired performance. This study aimed to evaluate alterations in body composition to determine the effects of a nutritional program led by a sport nutritionist. A group of 88 elite soccer players from a Serie A club in Italy (44 males aged 26.5 ± 3.0 years and 44 females aged 27.1 ± 5.2 years) were enrolled. To evaluate changes in body composition, bioimpedance and anthropometric measurements were obtained following the protocol of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK). Compared with females, males had more muscle mass and less fat mass in both seasons evaluated. Comparing the first and last seasons, the male soccer players showed increased muscle mass and decreased fat mass while the female soccer players only showed decreased fat mass. The presence of a specialist sport nutritionist on the staff of professional soccer clubs could be important to ensure energy availability and evaluate body composition during the season.

Decrypting the specifics of professional football club investments: Why? What? How? An integrative review

PurposeSince the beginning of the 2000s, investors have more frequently invested into professional football clubs, thereby radically changing the industry landscape. This review's purpose is to analyze and synthesize the state of research to understand motives, roles and implications of football club investors, and to provide recommendations for further research.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents an integrative literature review by identifying relevant English articles based on the search terms investor, owner, investment, ownership, shareholder and stakeholder in combination with soccer or football. Around 2,431 articles were reviewed. A total of 129 relevant articles was analyzed and synthesized within eight subject areas.FindingsInvestors in professional club football is a young research stream with a clear European focus. Investor motives and roles are diverse and implications are multidimensional. Investors mostly aim for indirect returns rather than pure profit- or win-maximization.Research limitations/implicationsFootball clubs comprise an own investment class for which the identified, unique specifics must be considered to develop a financially successful investment model. Thorough academic research of investors' inherent characteristics, investor-club pairings and the pillars of long-term strategies for successful investor-club liaisons are avenues of future research. Furthermore, the results illustrate the need for research outside of Europe.Originality/valueThe paper is the first systematic, integrative review of existing literature in the domain of equity investments into professional club football. The findings genuinely show that, depending on the investor type and ownership structure, investors have a wide impact in professional club football.