Football and technology enjoy an uneasy relationship. Just this month, a two-thirds majority of Premier League clubs voted to defer the implementation of video assistant referee (VAR) technology, meaning that for next season at least, VAR will remain in testing only. In the constant search for the slightest extra edge, however, individual clubs have been adopting wearable tech that can record a range of physical data that can then be used to tailor training sessions, monitor player fitness and improve preparation.
Approaching football in a scientific manner is nothing new. Former England manager Sam Allardyce was a pivotal figure in raising the profile of sports science, psychology and data analysis in the English game, but the rise in monitoring and analytical tech has given managers new tools at their disposal.
Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in the world, is just one that has adopted the usage of wearable tech, mainly in the form of GPS devices attached to the back of a player’s shirt that can measure their heart rate as well as distances covered and speeds reached.
Real Madrid use GPS tech on players’ shirts
Carlos Alberto Cruz, physical trainer at Real Madrid, told Wired: “Using a GPS signal, we can then retrieve data on the total distance they cover, the distance at high intensity, and the acceleration and deceleration during training or a match.”
Coach and former player José María Gutiérrez Hernández adds that this kind of data was simply not available to players or coaches during the majority of his time as a professional footballer. This made it much harder to gauge exactly how players were performing – in a physical sense at least.
“It definitely changed, and at the end of my career we had data from everyone from training matches, and that is invaluable for the player,” he said.
Clubs use sophisticated analytical software
Ostensibly, the wearables are similar to Fitbits and other activity trackers that are available to the average consumer. Professional clubs also have access to sophisticated analysis software, however, which can turn the collected data into actionable training and tactical tips.
Cruz said: “We retrieve the data, extract it and analyse it using the software. Then we can compare data with the objectives we set for each session and draw conclusions on how the training went and the player’s form. Then we consider how to apply this information to upcoming matches."
The margins between success and failure can be very slim in top-level football, and clubs and national sides are willing to pay for any slight edge.
Irish firm STATSports recently signed a £1 billion deal with the US Soccer Federation and has now added the Brazilian national team to its clients ahead of the World Cup in Russia this summer.
Guilherme Passos, physiologist at the Brazilian Football Confederation, said: “We want to make sure we leave no stone unturned when it comes to our preparation for this summer’s World Cup and beyond. A key part of this preparation is the technology we use to monitor the load we are placing on our players during sessions.”
Read more of our latest Industry Updates news stories
