December 14 – The CIES Football Observatory has partnered up with Skillcorner to analyse the strongest ‘Marathon runners’ and ‘Sprinters’ (their definitions) across the top 40 leagues in world football.
The study examines three indicators: distance covered, number of sprints during possession (>25 km/h for at least 0.7 seconds), as well as the same indicator during phases without the ball, in all three cases per 90’ of presence on the pitch.
In order to qualify, players needed to have played at least 720 minutes up to 7 December 2023 in national competitions and 360 minutes in international competitions.
In the high-octane world of European football, the midfielders across the continent are showing their mettle in terms of sheer distance covered per 90 minutes.
Sander Berge of Burnley FC (pictured), Koke Resurrección from Atlético Madrid, Daniel Boloca representing US Sassuolo, Hugo Larsson of Eintracht Frankfurt, and Adrien Thomasson from RC Lens have emerged as the standout performers, topping each of the big five leagues in Europe.
In the UEFA Champions League, RB Salzburg midfielder Mads Bistrup has been the most relentless runner, covering more ground than anybody else in Europe’s premier competition.
In the realm of defensive sprints, it’s usually the full-backs that dominate the charts. However, there’s a notable exception making waves in the Premier League, with Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur earning the league’s top defensive sprinter, proving that attacking players can shine in this aspect too.
FC Barcelona’s star full-back Joao Cancelo tops the defensive sprint actions for both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League – the only player across all the data to top two separate leagues.
On the offensive sprint front, an array of talents from various leagues across Europe are making their mark.
Chelsea FC’s Nicolas Jackson is the top offensive sprinter in the Premier League, joined by Athletic Club’s Inaki Williams, Montpellier’s Musa Al-Taamari, Salernitana’s Antonio Candreva and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush from the rest of the top five leagues.
Sheraldo Becker of Union Berlin tops this list from the UEFA Champions League whilst Mohamed Amoura, the Algerian dynamo from Union Saint-Gilloise, tops offensive sprints in the Europa League.
Biel of EC Bahia in the recently concluded Brasileirão and Agustín Canobbio representing Athletico Paranaense in the Copa Libertadores are among the standout sprinters making a significant impact in their respective competitions.
To see the full data, click here.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1734914227labto1734914227ofdlr1734914227owedi1734914227sni@g1734914227niwe.1734914227yrrah1734914227