Area: Sevilla FC Academic Chair

This section is where we describe the various actions carried out by the Sevilla FC Chair – UPO: University, Business, and Sports.

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For the second year in a row, Sevilla FC welcomes delegates from South Korea’s leading clubs

Various members of South Korea’s top football clubs, belonging to the K-League, once again visited Sevilla FC’s training ground to experience firsthand the day-to-day life inside the club.

As part of this experience, which is taking place for the second consecutive year, they attended the match between Sevilla FC Women and Dépor ABANCA, which ended in a convincing 3-1 victory for David Losada’s team.

In addition, they took a tour of the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium as well as a more tourist-oriented tour of the city’s iconic landmarks. They were accompanied by several club staff members, who acted as guides in this new chapter of collaboration between South Korean football and Sevilla FC.

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Yechuon Club Junior participates for the first time in Sevilla FC Innovation Center visits

Sevilla FC has hosted, for the first time, a club from the Korean Football Association (KFA) thanks to initiatives promoted by its Innovation Center. During this experience, they met fellow compatriots who were also at Sevilla FC’s facilities as part of the Coaches Academy program.

The KFA delegation was able to attend several training sessions and a friendly match, seeing firsthand the club’s methodology both on and off the pitch.

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Puerto Rico’s Hispania FA Academy returns to the Players Academy Program

A delegation of Puerto Rican players recently visited Sevilla FC’s facilities to take part in the activities offered by the Players Academy program, promoted by the Sevilla FC Innovation Center.

During the visit, the footballers were able to participate in training sessions led by youth academy coaches, following the club’s own methodology. In fact, two of them even trained last Friday with the Juvenil D team, temporarily increasing the number of Puerto Rican players in this squad, which already includes two other members born on the Caribbean island.

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Polish Federation relies on Sevilla FC to train women as sporting directors

The Polish Federation (PZPN) visited Sevilla FC’s facilities with a delegation made up entirely of women. They are currently training to become sporting directors and attended talks given by professionals from the club. One of the highlights was the session led by David Losada, coach of Sevilla FC Women.

In addition, they took part in other activities related to the women’s section of Sevilla FC, including sporting management as well as the legal and data departments. They also observed several training sessions of the women’s first team.

To conclude their visit, the delegation attended the latest match of the Spanish national team, who faced the Turkish national side at the Estadio de La Cartuja in the final qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup.

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Sevilla FC joins the 11th Aspire Academy Global Summit 2025 in Philadelphia

Sevilla FC took part in the 11th edition of the Aspire Academy Global Summit 2025, held on October 7th and 8th at Subaru Park Stadium in Philadelphia (United States), home of Philadelphia Union from Major League Soccer (MLS). The club’s participation in this prestigious summit reinforces its commitment to football innovation and the continuous training of its professionals, consolidating its role as a global benchmark in talent development and football knowledge.

The Aspire Academy Global Summit brought together representatives from more than 50 clubs and football federations worldwide, along with coaches, academy directors, and performance experts, with the goal of sharing experiences, methodologies, and new trends in both youth and elite football.

Over the two-day summit, participants attended masterclasses and keynote sessions led by renowned figures such as Rafa Benítez, Gareth Southgate, Wilfried Nancy, Alessandro Nesta, and Carly Lloyd, who discussed key topics including leadership, team management, competitive performance, women’s football, and the adaptation of players to the modern game.

In addition to the lectures, the program featured round tables and practical workshops focused on areas such as integrating technology into player development, workload optimization, academy management, and data-driven analysis for improving player performance.

As an active member of the Aspire in the World Fellows community, Sevilla FC continues to strengthen its collaboration with academies and clubs around the globe, promoting the exchange of knowledge and the continuous improvement of its youth development model. This global network, which includes institutions such as Liverpool FC, Paris Saint-Germain, Ajax, and FC Porto, aims to foster international cooperation in football research and innovation.

Through its participation in Philadelphia, Sevilla FC takes another step forward in its institutional and sporting growth strategy, reaffirming its commitment to a methodology-driven and science-based approach that prioritizes the comprehensive development of both coaches and players. This philosophy has established the club as a reference not only for its sporting achievements but also for its ability to evolve and adapt to the future of football.

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Big Data Master’s, ranked among the best in Spain

The Master’s in Big Data Applied to Football Scouting, co-organized by the Sevilla FC Innovation Center, Sports Data Campus, and UCAM, has been chosen as one of the best online training options in Spain by the prestigious newspaper El Mundo.

In an article titled “The 145 Best Online Master’s Degrees to Study in Spain in 2025”, the program is ranked as the second-best option within the “Big Data” category, noting that it “has the support of organizations, leagues, federations, football clubs, and companies in technology, data, and sports analytics,” and that it “allows students to obtain four additional certifications that complement their training.”

At the end of October, a new edition of the Master’s program, the ninth, will begin, with the final month of enrollment now open.

Check the ranking at the following link.

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Hispania FF of Puerto Rico visits the Players Academy Program

Hispania FF of Puerto Rico Visits the Players Academy Program at Sevilla FC Innovation Center

In recent days, the Players Academy program at the Sevilla FC Innovation Center welcomed a special visit from the players of Hispania FF of Puerto Rico. The club’s delegation, composed of more than 60 players of various age groups and four coaches, was divided into four categories to take full advantage of the development and training offered by Sevilla FC’s player enhancement program.

As part of their experience, the players took part in training sessions at the club’s sports city, following the official Sevilla FC methodology. Their stay also included a friendly match against Sevilla FC’s Infantil A side, coached by Álex Martín.

In addition, the visiting group had the opportunity to explore the club’s top-tier facilities, including a full tour of the iconic Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium.

The group also attended educational sessions delivered by various Sevilla FC professionals, covering topics such as international sports projects and sports psychology.

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José Andrés Nevado Villalba, awarded the Manuel Blasco Garzón Prize.

The Special Jury Prize of the 4th Edition of the Manuel Blasco Garzón Awards has been granted to José Andrés Nevado Villalba for his outstanding work titled “Are soccer clubs sensitive to financial scandals? Evidence from the Plusvalenza case.”

This study analyzes the impact of the Plusvalenza financial scandal, involving the football club Juventus of Turin. To conduct this case study, José Andrés Nevado applied a methodology based on financial event analysis. His research concludes that the financial market reacts more strongly to negative news than to favorable court rulings.

Moreover, this work raises important ethical questions: Is it profitable for football clubs to break the law if the market reacts negatively?

The study conducted by José Andrés Nevado Villalba not only offers key insights into the financial sphere of football but also contributes to applications in professional football regulation, club management, and investment decision-making.

The Manuel Blasco Garzón Prize continues its mission of recognizing young talent, supporting and encouraging students to pursue academic and scientific research.

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Javier Merino Pérez, awarded the Manuel Blasco Garzón Prize.

The student Javier Merino Pérez has been awarded the Blasco Garzón Prize, endowed with 800 euros, for his work in the field of sports and exercise science, titled “Comparison of two training protocols with different velocity loss in the set on performance in the bench press exercise.”

The study conducted by Javier Merino Pérez analyzes the impact of two training approaches based on controlling the average propulsive velocity and the percentage of velocity loss during the bench press exercise, with the goal of optimizing performance and minimizing fatigue.

For the study, Javier Merino compared two groups: one with a fixed protocol of a constant 25% velocity loss, and another with a wave-like progression where the percentage of loss varied from session to session. Both models showed significant improvements in physical performance, but the group with constant velocity loss achieved similar or superior gains in maximum strength and muscular endurance.

The study concludes that both methods are effective, but maintaining a constant velocity loss may be particularly useful during strength development phases, while varying the percentage could be beneficial at strategic points in training, such as at the end of a microcycle or in pre-competition preparation.

The Manuel Blasco Garzón Prize continues its mission of recognizing young talent, supporting and encouraging students to continue their work in academic and scientific research.

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Alejandra López Cabrera, awarded the Manuel Blasco Garzón Prize.

Alejandra López Cabrera has been awarded the Blasco Garzón Prize in the Business category (Master’s Thesis), endowed with 800 euros.

Her study, focused on nemaline myopathy, one of the most common forms of congenital myopathies, primarily caused by mutations in the ACTA1 and NEB genes. This condition, which affects muscle function, is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and abnormal intracellular iron accumulation, as observed in dermal fibroblasts from affected patients.

This work not only provides new insights into the cellular mechanisms of nemaline myopathy but also opens the door to the development of future therapies aimed at improving mitochondrial function in patients with this rare disease.

The Manuel Blasco Garzón Prize continues its mission of recognizing young talent, supporting and encouraging students to continue their work in the field of academic and scientific research.

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Ignacio Gómez Dolader, awarded the Manuel Blasco Garzón Prize.

The student Ignacio Gómez Dolader has been awarded the Blasco Garzón Prize, endowed with 450 euros, for his work in the field of sports and exercise science. His study, focused on how strength influences the balance of young acrobatic gymnasts, has been of great interest to the jury due to its relevance and scientific rigor.

The research analyzes how maximum isometric strength and jump power influence balance performance, particularly depending on the athlete’s biological development stage, especially in athletes near their peak height velocity (PHV).

Ignacio Gómez Dolader conducted a cross-sectional study with 34 female gymnasts, observing notable differences between athletes near PHV and post-PHV, with the latter showing better results in both strength and balance.

The results of Ignacio Gómez Dolader’s work provide scientific value of special interest, in addition to potential practical applications in training planning for acrobatic sports.

The Manuel Blasco Garzón Prize continues its mission of recognizing young talent, supporting and encouraging students to continue their work in the field of academic and scientific research.

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The Sevilla FC Chair, in collaboration with the Pablo de Olavide University, presents the Manuel Blasco Garzón Awards.

The Sevilla FC Chair: University, Business, and Sport at Pablo de Olavide University presented the Manuel Blasco Garzón Awards this morning

The students, winners of the 4th edition of the Manuel Blasco Garzón Awards at Pablo de Olavide University, had the opportunity to attend the awards ceremony organized by the Sevilla FC Chair in collaboration with the university.

The awards were divided into the following categories: Business (Master’s Thesis – TFM), Business (Bachelor’s Thesis – TFG), Sports (Master’s Thesis – TFM), and Sports (Bachelor’s Thesis – TFG). In addition to the academic recognition that comes with receiving this prestigious award, the winning students were granted a cash prize of €800 for Master’s theses and €450 for Bachelor’s theses.

  • In the Business category (TFM), the award was given to Alejandra López Cabrera for her work titled “Mitochondrial dysfunction in nemaline myopathy.”
  • In the Sports category (TFM), the prize went to Javier Merino Pérez for his thesis “Comparison of two training protocols with different velocity loss thresholds on bench press performance.”
  • In the Sports category (TFG). Ignacio Gómez Dolader received the award for his research “Influence of strength on static and proactive balance in young gymnasts.”
  • Additionally, the jury awarded a Special Prize to José Andrés Nevado Villalba for his thesis “Are soccer clubs sensitive to financial scandals? Evidence from the plusvalenza case.”

The 4th Edition of the Manuel Blasco Garzón Awards once again highlights the support and commitment of the Sevilla FC Chair, alongside Pablo de Olavide University, to fostering young talent in research and academic study within the fields of business and sport.