The Impact of Managerial Changes on Physical Performance in Elite Soccer Players

This study aimed to examine whether managerial changes and their training methodology influence the physical attributes of soccer players and determine if these changes significantly impact the overall physical performance of the team. Twenty-seven male elite-level football players competing in the...

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Main Authors: Dennis Petrov, Koulla Parpa, Marcos Michaelides
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Sports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/13/7/213
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author Dennis Petrov
Koulla Parpa
Marcos Michaelides
author_facet Dennis Petrov
Koulla Parpa
Marcos Michaelides
author_sort Dennis Petrov
collection DOAJ
description This study aimed to examine whether managerial changes and their training methodology influence the physical attributes of soccer players and determine if these changes significantly impact the overall physical performance of the team. Twenty-seven male elite-level football players competing in the Eastern Mediterranean region (age: 28.12 ± 5.5 years, height: 179.3 ± 6.25 cm, body mass: 75.8 ± 6.6 kg) participated in this study. To analyze the impact of managerial changes on elite football players’ physical performance, this study evaluated and compared physical attributes during weekly microcycles and official games across three different coaching regimes over an entire season. Data were collected using a 10 Hz GPS tracking technology and included the following external load (EL) parameters: total distance, high metabolic load distance, high-speed running, sprint distance, accelerations, and decelerations. A one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was utilized to assess differences in physical performance across the three coaching methods. Significant differences were evident in high metabolic load distance during games [<i>F</i>(2,27) = 7.59, <i>p</i> < 0.05]. High-speed running distance also varied significantly across the three coaching regimes, both during training sessions [<i>F</i>(2,27) = 5.89, <i>p</i> < 0.05] and games [<i>F</i>(2,27) = 4.31, <i>p</i> < 0.05]. Furthermore, sprint distance showed significant differences during training [<i>F</i>(2,27) = 4.62, <i>p</i> < 0.05] and games [<i>F</i>(2,27) = 3.37, <i>p</i> < 0.05]. The findings of this study suggest that managerial changes can have a significant effect on the physical performance of soccer players. The results highlight the importance of aligning coaching strategies with physical conditioning techniques for optimizing performance. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the potential benefits and risks associated with managerial changes in professional soccer. Nevertheless, a limitation in this study is that all metrics of EL were interpreted as absolute values rather than relative-based threshold values, which may affect the interpretation of the players’ physical capacities.
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spelling doaj-art-8d5ecfee94ac45c0b7bc7fd9a8e9f0eb2025-08-20T03:08:10ZengMDPI AGSports2075-46632025-06-0113721310.3390/sports13070213The Impact of Managerial Changes on Physical Performance in Elite Soccer PlayersDennis Petrov0Koulla Parpa1Marcos Michaelides2Sport and Exercise Science, UCLan University of Cyprus, Pyla 7080, CyprusSport and Exercise Science, UCLan University of Cyprus, Pyla 7080, CyprusSport and Exercise Science, UCLan University of Cyprus, Pyla 7080, CyprusThis study aimed to examine whether managerial changes and their training methodology influence the physical attributes of soccer players and determine if these changes significantly impact the overall physical performance of the team. Twenty-seven male elite-level football players competing in the Eastern Mediterranean region (age: 28.12 ± 5.5 years, height: 179.3 ± 6.25 cm, body mass: 75.8 ± 6.6 kg) participated in this study. To analyze the impact of managerial changes on elite football players’ physical performance, this study evaluated and compared physical attributes during weekly microcycles and official games across three different coaching regimes over an entire season. Data were collected using a 10 Hz GPS tracking technology and included the following external load (EL) parameters: total distance, high metabolic load distance, high-speed running, sprint distance, accelerations, and decelerations. A one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was utilized to assess differences in physical performance across the three coaching methods. Significant differences were evident in high metabolic load distance during games [<i>F</i>(2,27) = 7.59, <i>p</i> < 0.05]. High-speed running distance also varied significantly across the three coaching regimes, both during training sessions [<i>F</i>(2,27) = 5.89, <i>p</i> < 0.05] and games [<i>F</i>(2,27) = 4.31, <i>p</i> < 0.05]. Furthermore, sprint distance showed significant differences during training [<i>F</i>(2,27) = 4.62, <i>p</i> < 0.05] and games [<i>F</i>(2,27) = 3.37, <i>p</i> < 0.05]. The findings of this study suggest that managerial changes can have a significant effect on the physical performance of soccer players. The results highlight the importance of aligning coaching strategies with physical conditioning techniques for optimizing performance. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the potential benefits and risks associated with managerial changes in professional soccer. Nevertheless, a limitation in this study is that all metrics of EL were interpreted as absolute values rather than relative-based threshold values, which may affect the interpretation of the players’ physical capacities.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/13/7/213managerial changesphysical performancecoaching regimens
spellingShingle Dennis Petrov
Koulla Parpa
Marcos Michaelides
The Impact of Managerial Changes on Physical Performance in Elite Soccer Players
Sports
managerial changes
physical performance
coaching regimens
title The Impact of Managerial Changes on Physical Performance in Elite Soccer Players
title_full The Impact of Managerial Changes on Physical Performance in Elite Soccer Players
title_fullStr The Impact of Managerial Changes on Physical Performance in Elite Soccer Players
title_full_unstemmed The Impact of Managerial Changes on Physical Performance in Elite Soccer Players
title_short The Impact of Managerial Changes on Physical Performance in Elite Soccer Players
title_sort impact of managerial changes on physical performance in elite soccer players
topic managerial changes
physical performance
coaching regimens
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/13/7/213
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