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The Effect of the COVID-19 Lockdown on the Position-Specific Match Running Performance of Professional Football Players; Preliminary Observational Study

Author

Listed:
  • Damir Sekulic

    (Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia)

  • Sime Versic

    (Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia
    HNK Hajduk, 21000 Split, Croatia)

  • Andrew Decelis

    (Institute for Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Education, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta)

  • Jose Castro-Piñero

    (GALENO Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Cádiz, Avenida República Saharaui s/n, 11519 Puerto Real, Spain
    Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz (INiBICA), 11009 Cádiz, Spain)

  • Dejan Javorac

    (Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia)

  • Goran Dimitric

    (Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia)

  • Kemal Idrizovic

    (Faculty for Sport and Physical Education, University of Montenegro, 81400 Niksic, Montenegro)

  • Igor Jukic

    (Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia)

  • Toni Modric

    (Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted professional football in the 2019/2020 season, and football experts anticipate that the consequences of lockdown measures will negatively affect the physical performance of players once competition restarts. This study aimed to evaluate position-specific match running performance (MRP) to determine the effect of COVID-19 lockdowns on the physical performance of professional football players. Players’ MRPs ( n = 124) were observed in matches before and after the COVID-19 lockdown in the 2019/2020 season of the highest level of national competition in Croatia and were classified according to player position: central defenders (CD; n = 42), fullbacks (FB; n = 20), midfielders (MF; n = 46), and forwards (FW; n = 16). The MRPs were measured using Global Positioning System, and included the total distance covered, low-intensity running (≤14.3 km/h), running (14.4–19.7 km/h), high-intensity running (≥19.8 km/h), total accelerations (>0.5 m/s 2 ), high-intensity accelerations (>3 m/s 2 ), total decelerations (less than –0.5 m/s 2 ), and high-intensity decelerations (less than –3 m/s 2 ). The results indicated that, in matches after the COVID-19 lockdown, (i) CDs and FBs featured lower running and high-intensity running (t-value: from 2.05 to 3.51; all p < 0.05; moderate to large effect sizes), (ii) MFs covered a greater distance in low-intensity running and achieved a lower number of total accelerations, and total and high-intensity decelerations (t-value: from –3.54 to 2.46; all p < 0.05, moderate to large effect sizes), and (iii) FWs featured lower high-intensity running (t-value = 2.66, p = 0.02, large effect size). These findings demonstrate that the physical performances of football players from the Croatian first division significantly decreased in matches after the COVID-19 lockdown. A combination of inadequate adaptation to football-specific match demands and a crowded schedule after the competition was restarted most likely resulted in such an effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Damir Sekulic & Sime Versic & Andrew Decelis & Jose Castro-Piñero & Dejan Javorac & Goran Dimitric & Kemal Idrizovic & Igor Jukic & Toni Modric, 2021. "The Effect of the COVID-19 Lockdown on the Position-Specific Match Running Performance of Professional Football Players; Preliminary Observational Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-9, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:22:p:12221-:d:684191
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    7. Toni Modric & Sime Versic & Damir Sekulic & Silvester Liposek, 2019. "Analysis of the Association between Running Performance and Game Performance Indicators in Professional Soccer Players," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-13, October.
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    1. Jasna Nincevic & Anamarija Jurcev-Savicevic & Sime Versic & Toni Modric & Ante Turic & Ante Bandalovic & Boris Becir & Marijana Mijakovic & Ivana Bocina & Damir Sekulic, 2023. "How Different Predominant SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern Affected Clinical Patterns and Performances of Infected Professional Players during Two Soccer Seasons: An Observational Study from Split, Croa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-19, January.

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