Has the pandemic changed soccer training methodologies?

Abstract

Introduction. The covid-19 pandemic affected the world of sports very directly. This forced the coaching staffs of the different clubs to reinvent themselves in their training processes in order to avoid the loss of sports performance of their squads, adapting their training methodologies to the conditions that prevailed at all times. Therefore, the objective of this research has been to find out if there are changes in the training and planning modes of soccer coaches during and after the pandemic. Methods: For this work, a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in a sample made up of 517 coaches from different divisions and nationalities. To characterize the sample, descriptive measures were used and Pearson's chi-square was used to study whether there is a relationship between the variables studied. All statistical analyses were performed with Stata version 12 (StataCorp., United States) and statistical significance was always established at a p value < 0.05. Results: The results of this study indicated that, regardless of the division in which they developed their profession, the coaches were forced to make methodological changes and substantial modifications in the planning of the sessions. They avoided contact exercises and focused on tactical and psychological aspects during and since the pandemic. Conclusion: The results of this study can be very useful for future technical bodies when it comes to distributing training and workload. Keywords: soccer; methodology; training; coaches; pandemic; COVID-19