Soccer Managers Research Articles

MULTIPLE CHOICE METHOD WITH GENETIC ALGORITHM FOR THE FORMATION OF SOCCER TEAMS

For soccer managers, player selection lineups are a key process for better performance, both on financial and sports matters. However, to determine a quality solution to this problem it becomes more complex, as the number of alternatives and criteria increases and the number of viable solutions grows ex ponentially. This paper proposes a multicriteria method with genetic algorithm for the evaluation of soccer teams based on Brazilian Championship data. A team complementation percentage was calculated con sidering a total of 322 athletes and 18 criteria. The results presented a 3-6-1 format as the ideal for this case study, obtaining a team complementation value of 43.04%. The method adaptability for the decision-maker is highlighted, showing it was possible to determinate the most complementary team according to the desired tactical formation and importance attributed for each criterion.

Career Anchors of Executives and Soccer Managers in Brazil

The professionalization of football has led to the adoption of corporate and strategic management. In this sense, attention to the hiring of trained professionals is increasingly high, both in terms of experience, training, skills and their motivations. In addition to skills, it is also considered their Career Anchors, which are a combination of motivations, preferences, interests, aspirations and values that represent the essence of the worker. This study aimed to analyze the Career Anchors of soccer executives and managers. As specific objectives, the ordering and classification of Career Anchors in the sample, verifying similarities between the results obtained with the skills defined for professional practice. This quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive research sampled 26 soccer executives or managers who worked in clubs of the 2019 Brazilian Soccer Championship, from a population of 70 professionals affiliated with the Brazilian Association of Soccer Executives. The instrument used for data collection was the Career Anchors inventory elaborated by Schein and Maanen (1993), extracted from the book Carrer Anchors by Dutra and Albuquerque (2008), which classify them into eight different categories: Technical Competence, Management Competence General, Independence, Security, Entrepreneurship, Dedication to a Cause, Pure Challenge and Lifestyle. Descriptive analyzes were performed, considering the mean and standard deviation to describe the variables and, to test the significant difference between the means of the anchors, a one-way ANOVA and multiple comparisons with Bonferroni post-hoc adjustment were used. The results found indicate that the anchor that obtained the highest value was Pure Challenge, with an average value of 5.1, followed by the Technical Competence anchor, with 4.8, and Dedication to a cause, with 4.6. It is possible to see that Entrepreneurship had the lowest average and had little variability: 2.7 with a standard deviation of 1.0. The Pure Challenge and Dedication to a cause anchor predominate, both with 30.8% of the total, followed by Technical/Functional Competence with 23.1%. Entrepreneurship was the only anchor that was not the greatest in any case. These findings may contribute to the understanding of the motivations and preferences of football executives and managers in clubs, in addition to subsidizing the analysis of adherence of profiles to positions and functions assumed for professional management.

Time to Say Goodbye: A Duration Analysis of the Determinants of Coach Dismissals and Quits in Major League Soccer

This study investigates the determinants of voluntary and involuntary head coach turnovers using a large dataset of some 6,500 coach-game observations from Major League Soccer over 2004–2019. The duration analysis results show that team performance related to expected playoff qualification and performance expectations matter for both types of separations. Moreover, the findings reveal that coach reputation decreases dismissal probabilities, while coach age increases quit rates. The results of this study will be of particular interest to Major League Soccer team owners and managers as well as for business management outside the sports industry.

Global Leaders for Global Teams: Leaders with Multicultural Experiences Communicate and Lead More Effectively, Especially in Multinational Teams

In an era of globalization, it is commonly assumed that multicultural experiences foster leadership effectiveness. However, little research has systematically tested this assumption. We develop a theoretical perspective that articulates how and when multicultural experiences increase leadership effectiveness. We hypothesize that broad multicultural experiences increase individuals’ leadership effectiveness by developing their communication competence. Because communication competence is particularly important for leading teams that are more multinational, we further hypothesize that individuals with broader multicultural experiences are particularly effective when leading more versus less multinational teams. Four studies test our theory using mixed methods (field survey, archival panel, field experiments) and diverse populations (corporate managers, soccer managers, hackathon leaders) in different countries (Australia, Britain, China, America). In Study 1, corporate managers with broader multicultural experiences were rated as more effective leaders, an effect mediated by communication competence. Analyzing a 25-year archival panel of English Premier League soccer managers, Study 2 replicates the positive effect of broad multicultural experiences using a team performance measure of leadership effectiveness. Importantly, this effect was moderated by team national diversity: soccer managers with broader multicultural experiences were particularly effective when leading teams with greater national diversity. Study 3 (digital health hackathon) and Study 4 (COVID-19 policy hackathon) replicate these effects in two field experiments, in which individuals with varying levels of multicultural experiences were randomly assigned to lead hackathon teams that naturally varied in national diversity. Overall, our research suggests that broad multicultural experiences help leaders communicate more competently and lead more effectively, especially when leading multinational teams.

Longevity differences in the tenures of American and foreign Major League Soccer managers

AbstractWe examine correlates of tenure length for professional soccer managers. Using 521 managers from Major League Soccer (MLS), Spain’s La Liga, and the English Premier League (EPL) whose tenures occurred between 2000 and 2015, we assess the association between both performance-related and non-performance variables, and manager duration. Performance variables include measures of a team’s ranking (or position) and relegation/promotion indicators. Non-performance variables include manager nationality and age, the timing of a manager’s hire, and the team’s wage bill. We employ survival analytic methods, including Cox’s proportional hazards model, to explore the effects of fixed and time-dependent covariates on coach tenure length. We find that La Liga managers have shorter survival, as do managers who were older when they were hired. Furthermore, finishing with a better ranking and, more importantly, improving on previous team performance yields longer survival. Most strikingly, however, we find a significant disparity in the comparison of domestic and foreign managers within a league. While the difference in longevity between domestic and foreign managers in La Liga and the EPL was minimal, American managers in MLS survived significantly longer than their foreign peers.

How do soccer teams coordinate consecutive passes? A visual analytics system for analysing the complexity of passing sequences using soccer flow motifs

The analysis of passing strategies plays a major role in soccer. Soccer managers use scouting, video footage, and soccer data feed to collect information about tactics and player performance. However, the nature of passing strategies is complex enough to reflect what is happening in the match and makes it hard to understand its dynamics. Furthermore, there exists a growing demand for pattern detection and passing analysis popularized by FC Barcelona’s tiki-taka. In this paper, we describe a visual analytics system to analyze the sequence and trajectory of consecutive passing sequences. We describe a two-phase clustering algorithm that extracts typical trajectory clusters in passing sequences, which result in eight predominant clusters. The combined analysis of the sequence and trajectory clusters allow experts to perform multi or single-game analysis in various ways. We show the potential of our approach in case studies using data from the Brazilian and Turkish leagues and report feedback from soccer experts.

Fractures in German elite male soccer players.

Aim of this retrospective cohort study was to identify fracture epidemiology and off times after different types of fractures in German male elite soccer players from the first division Bundesliga based on information from the public media. Exposure and fracture data over 7.5 consecutive seasons (2009/10 until the first half of 2016/17) were collected from two media-based register (transfermarkt.de® and kicker.de®). Overall, 357 fractures from 290 different players were recorded with an incidence of 0.19/1000 hours of exposure (95% CI: 0.14-0.24). Most fractures in German elite soccer players involved the lower extremities (35.3%), the head/face (30.3%) and the upper extremities (24.9%). The median off time after a fracture in German elite male professional soccer in 7.5 Season was 51.1 days (range 0-144). The number of fractures per 100 players per season decreased between 2009 and 2016. There was no significant difference in overall fracture incidence when comparing players at different position (P=0.11). Goalkeepers have a significantly (P<0.02) higher likelihood of suffering hand and finger fractures and they are significantly (P<0.03) less prone of suffering foot fractures, cranial and maxillofacial fractures (P<0.04). compared to outfield players. This study can confirm that male professional soccer teams experience 1-2 fractures per season in German elite soccer. The incidence of fractures in elite German soccer players decreased between 2009 and 2016. The most fractures occur in the lower extremities and there is no difference in overall fracture risk for players at different playing positions. The information from our study might be of a great importance to medical practitioners, soccer coaches and soccer manager.

Beyond ‘crude pragmatism’ in sports coaching: Insights from C.S. Peirce, William James and John Dewey

There is a lack of clarity in the sports coaching literature about philosophical pragmatism, but the work of Classical Pragmatists such as C.S. Peirce, William James and John Dewey is worthy of attention by both practitioners and researchers. This stimulus article is divided into four sections: Pragmatic Temperament, which includes a discussion of how English Premier League soccer manager Arsène Wenger might be regarded as pragmatic; Communities of Inquiry, which makes reference to a philosophy group at English Premiership rugby union club Saracens; Mixed Methods Research, which examines the use of abduction, deduction and induction in research; and Reflection, which shows how Schön’s reflective practice is a reworking of Dewey’s theory of inquiry.

Expert Premier League soccer managers’ use of transformational leadership behaviours and attitude towards sport integrity: An intrinsic case study

The present study is the first to examine transformational leadership behaviours and integrity attitudes of expert, Premier League and International level football managers. To provide a rich, detailed exploration of the expert managers’ experiences, a qualitative approach was adopted utilising holistic content analysis. Constructed narratives revealed that the key behaviours demonstrated were inspirational messages or team talks (i.e. inspirational motivation), empathy (i.e. individualised consideration), introducing new training methods (i.e. intellectual stimulation), using exemplar players (i.e. appropriate role modelling), and goal setting (i.e. high performance expectations). However, the use and effect of such behaviours varied greatly between managers. Each of the managers also claimed to have been willing to “bend the rules” as a player and frequently used euphemistic labels to describe such behaviour. However, upon entering management, all three managers claimed to have adjusted such attitudes without providing an explanation for this.

A qualitative analysis of perceptions of venue: Do professional soccer players and managers concur with the conceptual home advantage framework?

While a considerable amount of archival research has been dedicated to exploring the home advantage, little is known about the beliefs which key agents hold about the phenomenon. The aim of the study was to explore the cognitions of professional soccer coaches and players to ascertain their perceived reasons for why teams perform consistently better at home than away. A purposeful sample consisting of three male professional soccer players and six male professional soccer managers participated in semi-structured interviews. Framework analysis was employed to investigate consistency with Carron, Loughead and Bray's revision of Courneya and Carron's original conceptual home advantage framework. The results indicate that key stakeholders' views are in keeping with the framework, though both players and managers place a greater emphasis on the impact of the referee. These findings offer a number of insights into implications for behaviour and suggest avenues for further research.

Voice use in professional soccer management

Vocal load related to heavy voice use in particular professions increases the risk of occupational voice disorders. Research on professional voice use has primarily focused on educators, singers, and call-centre advisors. This paper describes the daily experiences of professional soccer managers’ occupational voice use through qualitative methods. Four global themes were identified: 1) voice uses, 2) factors affecting voice change, 3) impact of voice use, and 4) the importance of voice in soccer management. All describe the nature of soccer managers’ vocal demands. Risk factors for voice disorders include intense and prolonged voice use in environments with adverse acoustic properties for speakers and poor phonation methods. Research on vocal behaviours and early prevention programmes for this population group is warranted.

Forced Manager Turnovers in English Soccer Leagues

The authors conduct an empirical analysis of a hand-collected sample of 2,376 turnovers of soccer managers in the four major English leagues in the seasons from 1949-1950 to 2007-2008. While the relation between the probability of a manager being fired and long-term performance remained remarkably stable, both the absolute frequency and the sensitivity of firing decisions on the outcome of recent matches steadily and significantly increased during the six decades covered by the sample. This is likely to reflect the increased level of competition in and economic importance of the English soccer leagues.

Forced Manager Turnovers in English Soccer Leagues: A Long-Term Perspective

We conduct an empirical analysis of a hand-collected sample of 2,376 turnovers of soccer managers in the four major English leagues in the seasons from 1949/50 to 2007/08. While the relation between the probability of a manager being fired and long-term performance remained remarkably stable, both the absolute frequency and the sensitivity of firing decisions on the outcome of recent matches steadily and significantly increased during the six decades covered by our sample. This is likely to reflect the increased level of competition in and economic importance of the English soccer leagues.

What Could an Executive Coach Do for an Association Football Manager?

The question of whether an Association football (soccer) manager might benefit from working with an executive coach can be broached with regard to the work of Marshall Goldsmith, who is author of the best-selling What Got You Here Won't Get You There. The title of this book is apt in the context of discussing the career of Roy Keane, who has made a difficult transition into football management from being one of the game's leading players. With journalists having pointed to apparent weaknesses in Keane's interpersonal skills, Goldsmith's eight-stage behavioural coaching process could be of value and utility to Keane. In order to facilitate commentaries on this target article, issues related to leadership, trust and caring are presented.

Analysis of penalties taken in shoot-outs

Penalties are now a subject of myth, romance, excitement, dread, fear and pressure - depending upon whether you are watching or taking them. Many soccer managers and coaches have said that they are a lottery and many are of the opinion that practising them are a waste of time, because it is not possible to replicate the pressure. Little research has been completed on penalty shoot-outs, and most of this has been on the performance of goalkeepers. The aim of this work is to use notation to analyse the performances of the penalty takers and goalkeepers in penalty shoot-outs taken from the FIFA World Cup finals and also the finals of the European Champions League, and present these data so that a successful profile of optimal performance can be defined.A notation system was designed to input data directly into Access, 129 penalties were notated with an intention to analyse the time in preparing the shot, the number of paces taken to approach the ball, their relative pace, the pace of the shot, its placement and the outcome.It was found that:-• One in five saved (20%; 3/15), one in fifteen missed (7%; 1/15) and three in four scored (73%; 11/15).• 25% of shots a fast run are saved because the player then tried either 50% or 75% power.• Best success ratios are from an even run up of 4, 5 and 6 paces.• There is no laterality in the success ratios – left footed and right footed strikers have the same success when the frequencies are represented as percentages.• No shots above waist height were saved, although 18% of those shots missed.• In every case, the goalkeeper moved off the line before the ball was struck.• There is only a small data set, but the goalkeepers who took a pace forward and stood up while the striker approached the ball, had the best save and miss ratios.• The profile of Germany’s penalty takers show a consistent pattern that is very different from the average, indicating analysis and training.Table 1 Respective frequency of the different paces of striking the ball with the outcomes expressed as percentages.Power of shotFrequencyFrequencyMissedSaved50%12%47%0%53%75%70%81%1%18%100%18%63%31%7%It was concluded that these data analyses demonstrate that there are optimal strategies in taking and saving penalties. These point to ways of enhancing the individual performance of the players in these closed skills. Coaches in this team sport will be helped by methods used in individual sports such as golf and racket sports, where the emphasis is on the attainment of expert technique.