December 19 – FC Barcelona defender Jules Koundé has emerged as the most-used outfield player in world football, according to the latest CIES Football Observatory report. The French international clocked an extraordinary 5,872 minutes across 69 matches, showcasing both his durability and importance to club and country.
December 13 – Belgian club Cercle Brugge have named Ferdinand Feldhofer (pictured) as the successor to Miron Muslic. It’s the third time in a row that the club have put their fate in the hands of an Austrian manager.
December 11 – The French Women’s Professional Football League (LFFP) has taken a significant step to enhance performance analysis across its Arkema Premier League and Second League clubs by partnering up with Pixellot. The deal will see the introduction of Pixellot’s advanced AI-powered cameras, a cutting-edge technology designed to revolutionise match analysis.
December 9 – Robbie Keane’s Irish heart was smiling this weekend as one of his 11 former clubs lifted the biggest title on offer in his former home of America. Keane, who spent five seasons in Los Angeles with the LA Galaxy winning three MLS Cups was on the sidelines as they won their sixth all-time title beating the New York Red Bulls 2-1 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
December 5 – The CIES Football Observatory has unveiled a potential Achilles heel for Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina, which have fielded one of the oldest average line-ups of any team in the world across the past 12 months.
November 19 – Former Belgium international defender Toby Alderweireld has revealed that he decided to end his international career after thinking he was “going to die”.
November 15 – Manchester United-bound Ruben Amorim’s Sporting Lisbon side tops a new shot-taking ranking by the CIES Football Observatory, suggesting that the Red Devils have gained a real attacking asset by getting the Portuguese coach.
November 13 – Sports performance intelligence platform Kitman Labs has entered into a partnership with Saudi Pro League’s Al-Hilal, one of the country’s most decorated football clubs.
November 7 – During the 2010-11 season, FC Barcelona was the greatest team in world football. Under the guidance of La Masia graduate, Pep Guardiola, and prompted by the GOAT, Lionel Messi, another product of the famed academy, the Catalans were unstoppable, but then, the production line faltered.
November 6 – The CIES Football Observatory has unveiled its latest rankings of young players with the highest transfer values, with no surprises at the number one spot.
October 31 – Portugal’s Benfica has been unveiled as the world leader in player training, according to stats generated by the CIES Football Observatory.
October 29 – After a stellar season that saw him pick up silverware with both club and country, Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri won the men’s Ballon d’Or award on Monday but the entire occasion was overshadowed by Real Madrid boycotting the prestigious annual event in Paris.
October 24 – Chelsea owners BlueCo are closing in on Red Bull as the kings of youth scouting, according to an age recruitment study from the CIES Football Observatory.
October 21 – After a 24-year-long partnership, Brazilian manager Tite and his assistant Cleber Xavier have parted ways with the latter choosing to pursue his own managerial ambitions.
October 18 – Premier League managers were united in their praise for Thomas Tuchel after the German’s appointment as head coach of the England national team but stressed the need for elite-level opportunities for English coaches.