Dr. López del Campo, Author at Football Innovation Hub

03 Oct What truly separates the Champion from the Runner-up in LaLiga? It’s not what you think.

Posted at 11:55h in Research

What truly separates the Champion from the Runner-up? Picture yourself on the training ground. You are preparing your team for the decisive weeks of the season. The scouting reports confirm what you already know: your rival has attacking firepower, the kind of players who fill highlight...

01 Oct Differences in match-running performances across racial groups in professional soccer players

Posted at 13:32h in Paper

Are black players inherently more athletic? It is a stereotype that has existed for decades in sport. But what happens when we test it with objective match data from elite professional soccer? This study analysed 4,011 individual match observations from the 2018–2019 Spanish LaLiga season, including 3,319...

26 Sep If you analyze high-intensity running at >21 km/h and >24 km/h, you’re wasting your time—they measure the same thing.

Posted at 12:00h in Research

Picture this: you’re reviewing the GPS report from the latest match. The dashboard splits high-intensity running into two familiar thresholds: above 21 km/h and above 24 km/h. These numbers guide training load, recovery, even tactical plans. But here’s the uncomfortable question: are these two thresholds...

23 Sep “Does Running More Really Mean Playing Better?”

Posted at 12:06h in Research

Five rounds into the new LALIGA EA Sports 2025/26 season, conversations on the training ground and in press rooms are already circling around a familiar question: “Who looks sharper, who has started stronger, who is already struggling?” GPS reports are filling up with numbers. Some teams...

19 Sep “If the ball leads and the block doesn’t follow, you break.”

Posted at 13:18h in Research

https://youtu.be/UgSZkSygB0k A live problem on the touchline The opponent circulates from left to right and your back four shuffle… almost. One wide midfielder lags half a step, the full-back tucks too early, and a passing lane opens across your box. Nothing “catastrophic” on the GPS sheet—but the...

12 Sep “The Ball Has a Life of Its Own: Rethinking Possession in Football”

Posted at 13:49h in Research

https://youtu.be/BgA8MOrG5x0 A coach’s dilemma Every week, coaches and analysts ask themselves the same question: How does my team really build its attacks? We often measure possession in percentages or completed passes, but these numbers don’t explain how a team progresses. Did they circulate endlessly in their own half?...

Author: Dr. López del Campo