The Heart as the Engine of Endurance
So you decide to take it on a run and your wish is to line up for a 10K. Your success isn’t only determined by the legs, it’s written in the rhythm of the heart. The way the heart beats, adapts, and recovers reflects the entire story of endurance performance. Heart rate (HR) (Figure 1) […]
Development of Aerobic Endurance During the Competitive Period
Good physical conditioning of a football team is reflected in the players’ ability to perform all technical and tactical tasks at an optimal intensity throughout the entire match (90–120 minutes). In moments of physical or mental fatigue, proper conditioning allows the player to continue demonstrating technical and tactical skills — and matches are often decided […]
Hamstring Injuries in Youth Football Players
Causes As young athletes are increasingly exposed to high training volumes and intensities, injury incidence has risen. In some sports, injury rates in youth players have even surpassed those of professionals. Hamstring injuries affect athletes worldwide and account for around 10% of all injuries in field-based sports. Among the most affected are youth football players. […]
Association Between Running Performance and Match Effectiveness in Football
Insights from Modrić et al. (2019) Introduction Soccer is a complex, dynamic sport that requires a combination of technical skill, tactical awareness, and physical performance. Each position on the field imposes unique demands, from central defenders reacting rapidly to offensive transitions to wide midfielders covering long distances at high speeds. Over the past decade, the […]
Comparing Croatian Second League CMJ Profiles to Premier League Standards Using the CI–EBI Quadrant Model
Introduction: Why Jumps Tell a Bigger Story In football, explosive power and braking ability are two of the most decisive qualities a player can possess. Whether it’s a winger exploding past a defender or a midfielder slamming the brakes to stop a counterattack, these movements rely heavily on neuromuscular qualities. The countermovement jump (CMJ) has […]
Unveiling the Physiological, Neural, and Neuromuscular Foundations of Deceleration
Introduction: The Underrated Skill That Wins Games In the world of high-performance sport, we often praise speed, power, and explosiveness. But what if the true game-changer isn’t how fast an athlete moves, but how well they stop? Deceleration, defined as the ability to reduce speed efficiently and safely, is a crucial yet often overlooked element […]
How we Develop Potential in a Multi-Club Environment
Introduction The development of potential within a multi club enviroment requires a structured, long-term vision that goes beyond the limits of a single team. Within such environments, potential is maximized when clubs work together under a common philosophy. This ensures that players are not just moving between teams but progressing along a carefully designed pathway. […]
Development of Technique in Football
Introduction Technique in football refers to a player’s ability to perform specific movements with the ball effectively and efficiently during the game. Good passing, dribbling, shooting, ball control, heading, and tackling are crucial for every player to perform efficiently in the game. Good technique allows players to execute actions under pressure, in limited space, and at […]
6 Lessons from the Women’s EURO
This week is full of high-level football education: three days with UEFA Pro lecturers, followed by this seminar for coaches from the Women’s Football Clubs of the Zagreb area, and soon after, UEFA Fitness A in Slovenia. A lot of football talks these days :D. But in the midst of all that high-performance talk, we […]
Reflections on CMJ Variability After Matches: What Science and Practice Show
In high-performance football, monitoring player responses to matches is essential for managing load, guiding recovery, and minimizing injury risk. A recent study by Mohr, Bishop & Dal Pupo (2025) published in Sport Sciences for Healthadds strong evidence that countermovement jump (CMJ) metrics are sensitive markers of post-match neuromuscular fatigue. The study tracked 30 professional soccer […]
