Author: Sevilla FC Innovation Center

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Sevilla FC strengthens its ties with sports research at the UPO’s 1st International Congress on Sports Performance

Sevilla FC continues to demonstrate its commitment to the development and dissemination of knowledge through its participation in the 1st International Congress on Physical Activity and Sports Performance (CIRFyD), held on 9 and 10 October at Pablo de Olavide University (UPO). The event brings together internationally renowned researchers, academics and professionals to share knowledge and scientific advances in strength training and sports performance optimisation.

Sevilla FC was represented at the event by José María Cruz, Head of Sports Innovation at Sevilla FC, who took part in the congress’s opening ceremony, and Carlos Otero Esquina, Coordinator of the Performance Optimisation Department at Sevilla FC’s Academy, who was among the experts contributing to the scientific programme.

The congress places particular emphasis on strength training and its relationship with movement velocity, a field of research that Pablo de Olavide University has been developing since 2007 and which has become a benchmark in sports science. Participants include highly respected researchers such as Juan José González Badillo, Juan Ribas Serna, Rafael Martín Acero, Esteban Gorostiaga and José Antonio López Calbet, among others. This distinguished group of experts also shares strong ties with Sevilla FC. Dr Ribas previously served as Head of Medical Services and Head of the club’s Football Science Department, a project in which González Badillo and Dr David Rodríguez Rosell, President of the inaugural edition of the congress, were also involved.

A strategic partnership between Sevilla FC and Pablo de Olavide University

Sevilla FC’s participation in this scientific forum forms part of a long-standing partnership between the two institutions, most notably through the Sevilla FC Chair in University, Business and Sport, established in 2020 to promote research, education, innovation, employability and knowledge transfer between academia and the sports industry.

Since its establishment, the Chair has developed a range of initiatives aimed at aligning academic activity with the real-world needs of the sports industry and professional football, promoting specialised education, the integration of university talent into the professional environment and the development of new opportunities for collaboration.

Its main initiatives include specialised training programmes, summer courses on sports management applied to football, scholarships for students and professionals, and activities promoting entrepreneurship and open innovation.

This partnership has also helped establish direct links between university education and Sevilla FC’s professional activities, facilitating talent recruitment and knowledge exchange between the two organisations.

Applied research in sports performance: a shared commitment

One of the clearest examples of this commitment to research is the Manuel Blasco Garzón Awards, organised by the Sevilla FC Chair to recognise excellence in undergraduate and master’s dissertations completed by UPO students.

Among the research projects recognised in previous editions are studies directly related to physical conditioning and sports performance, including a study on the effects of strength training in young footballers, awarded in 2024, and a comparative analysis of training protocols based on velocity loss during sets, recognised in 2025.

These research areas highlight the connection between university research and some of the major challenges facing modern physical conditioning, particularly in areas such as strength development, individualised training and performance enhancement.

In this context, Carlos Otero’s participation in CIRFyD provides a perspective closely linked to the day-to-day work carried out within Sevilla FC’s Academy, where performance optimisation is a fundamental part of player education and development.

Sevilla FC Innovation Center: connecting science and football

Sevilla FC’s participation in scientific events of this nature reflects the philosophy of the Sevilla FC Innovation Center, conceived as a platform to promote innovation, education and knowledge transfer within the football industry.

Within this ecosystem, collaboration with academic institutions such as Pablo de Olavide University plays a key role in connecting scientific research with the challenges faced by sports professionals, both in professional football and at academy level.

The shared history of collaboration through the Sevilla FC Chair, together with the presence of club professionals at international forums such as CIRFyD, reinforces a common vision: bringing science onto the pitch and turning knowledge into a tool for talent development and the continuous improvement of sports performance.

Through its participation in this congress, Sevilla FC continues to strengthen its commitment to an open innovation model closely connected to academia, in which research, education and the practical application of knowledge are fundamental pillars for the future of football.

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Sevilla FC Innovation Center brings its data and analysis methodology to South Korea

Sevilla FC keeps exporting knowledge. Through the Sevilla FC Innovation Center, a club delegation travelled to South Korea to deliver the ‘K-League Academy: Data & Analysis’, a series of training sessions held at the headquarters of the Korea Football Association and aimed at coaches from K-League 1 and 2, as well as instructors from the federation’s coaching courses.

Over several sessions, Daniel del Valle, Jesús Olivera and Luis Muñoz explained how we work at Sevilla FC: performance analysis and opposition analysis, big data and scouting. A model of our own, built over many years, that today draws interest from leagues all over the world. The response was outstanding, with massive attendance from Korean coaches and the door left open for this training programme to continue in the seasons ahead.

Much more than a training course

The visit was also an opportunity to deepen our understanding of Korean football. Our delegation held working meetings with sporting directors and analysis departments from several K-League clubs, attended both professional and youth matches, and shared methodology with professionals from across the country’s football ecosystem. A genuine two-way exchange: we teach, but we also learn.

A growing relationship

This trip is no isolated event. It is the latest chapter in a relationship Sevilla FC has been building with Korean football for years. Our connection with South Korea goes back a long way. In July 2022, our first team chose the country for its pre-season tour, including a friendly against Tottenham Hotspur in Suwon that sold out all 44,000 tickets in a matter of minutes. That tour revealed the Korean public’s passion for Sevilla FC. Four years on, that first visit has grown into a stable relationship that now brings not only our football to Korea, but also our knowledge, through a range of initiatives:

In December 2023, more than 25 KFA coaches spent a week training at our facilities as part of the SFC Coaches Academy, experiencing our working methodology and technological development first-hand. In 2025, we sealed an international strategic alliance with Gangwon FC, a club seeking a qualitative leap by drawing on the experience and knowledge accumulated by Sevilla FC, and whose staff have already taken part in our Business Academy programme. In October 2025, we welcomed the general managers of the K-League clubs to Seville, where they learned about our working processes in youth development, fan engagement and international communications.

Training, consultancy and partnerships. Three channels through which Sevilla FC’s knowledge travels to South Korea and returns as new opportunities for the club. Because at Sevilla FC, we believe that innovating also means sharing what we know how to do.

NEVER SURRENDER.

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2º Articulo de investigación “Game Intelligence” aplicado al fútbol

Este estudio analiza los diferentes comportamientos de los defensas centrales en relación con su rendimiento condicional y los esfuerzos defensivos que realizan durante la competición. El objetivo principal es comprender cómo las demandas físicas y defensivas del central varían en función del contexto táctico de su equipo.

Asimismo, se examina la posible relación entre el tiempo que los equipos pasan en posesión o sin posesión del balón y el bloque defensivo predominante que adoptan. Para ello, se analiza la distancia total recorrida por los jugadores, así como la velocidad e intensidad a la que se realizan dichos desplazamientos, en función del bloque defensivo utilizado. De manera complementaria, el estudio profundiza en la relación existente entre los distintos tipos de esfuerzos defensivos y el bloque defensivo empleado por el equipo, permitiendo identificar patrones de comportamiento defensivo asociados a diferentes estilos tácticos.

Palabras clave: Defensas, centrales, Bloques defensivos, En posesión, Sin posesión, Estilos tácticos, Rendimiento condicional, Esfuerzos defensivos, Tipos de presión.

La finalidad principal de este artículo es demostrar el impacto tangible del análisis de datos en el fútbol profesional, mostrando cómo este puede transformar la toma de decisiones estratégicas y operativas dentro de los clubes. Además, se busca resaltar el valor de los datos como herramienta esencial en la construcción de perfiles de jugadores, optimizando así el proceso de scouting y el desarrollo del talento. Finalmente, se pretende compartir conocimiento valioso con los nuevos profesionales del sector, fomentando una cultura de datos que pueda contribuir al avance del fútbol a través de metodologías analíticas innovadoras.

Entre los objetivos de la colaboración destacamos:

–Demostrar el valor del uso de los datos en el fútbol profesional: A través de casos de estudio reales, extraídos de las necesidades y desafíos específicos de los clubes, se busca evidenciar cómo la integración de los datos puede transformar la toma de decisiones estratégicas y operativas en el fútbol profesional.

–Resaltar la relevancia de los resultados obtenidos: Los resultados derivados del análisis de datos proporcionan información clave para la construcción precisa de perfiles de jugadores, permitiendo un enfoque más detallado y objetivo en el scouting, la evaluación de talento y la optimización del rendimiento.

–Generar y compartir conocimiento con las nuevas generaciones de profesionales: A través de esta colaboración, buscamos contribuir al desarrollo de los futuros líderes deportivos y analistas de datos, ofreciendo insights valiosos que enriquecen su formación y aportan un enfoque analítico a las futuras direcciones deportivas y células de análisis en los clubes.


El artículo está dirigido a profesionales del fútbol, incluidos directores deportivos, entrenadores, analistas de datos, scouts, y otros miembros del cuerpo técnico de clubes deportivos. También apunta a nuevas generaciones de profesionales que están integrándose en el mundo del fútbol, como estudiantes de programas de deporte y análisis de datos, así como líderes en la toma de decisiones dentro de las estructuras organizativas de los clubes. Además, es relevante para empresas tecnológicas y consultoras que se especializan en análisis de datos deportivos.

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