Issue 438 of the CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post combines SkillCorner’s physical and tactical (’game intelligence’) data with Wyscout’s technical ones to create a direct play index*. Based on 100, the latter allows us ranking teams from 27 leagues worldwide from those with the most direct attacking style to those with the most elaborated offensive play.

The highest values for direct play were recorded for Portugal’s SC Farense (100) overall, Luton Town (87) in the big-5, CA Banfield (83) for non-European teams, and Newcastle United (56) for UEFA Champions League participants. In contrast, the lowest values, reflecting the most elaborated attacking styles, were measured for two teams coached by Spaniards, Guardiola’s Manchester City (21) and Luis Enrique’s Paris St-Germain (23), with Arteta’s Arsenal (27) fourth.

Also presented in the Post, the extreme values for the specific variables of the index were observed for SC Farense (max) and SC Freiburg (min) regarding sprints during possession phases, Cercle Brugge (max) and Burnley (min) with regard to ‘call-for-the-ball’ runs into space, as well as Paris St-Germain (max) and FK Teplice (min) concerning the kilometres ‘covered’ by the ball also with the team in possession.

* The direct play index is calculated by multiplying the frequency of sprints per player (at least 0.7 seconds at over 25 km/h) during possession (projected over 90’) and the proportion of ‘call-for-the ball’ runs in space (SkillCorner data); divided by the number of kilometres ‘covered’ by the ball in possession, an indicator resulting from the multiplication between the number and average length of successful passes (Wyscout data).

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The 89th CIES Football Observatory Monthly Report compares 48 leagues around the world according to the demographic characteristics of the players in the club’s first team squads: 31 top divisions of UEFA member associations, nine of CONMEBOL, six of AFC and two of CONCACAF. It reveals major differences in the strategies followed by clubs according to their geographical area.

In terms of age, the average measured across the 31 top divisions of UEFA associations is almost one year lower than that recorded in the 17 non-European leagues: 26 years compared to 27. With regard to the proportion of expatriates, the difference is almost 10%: 43.6% in Europe versus 23.8% elsewhere. These findings reflect the greater propensity of European teams to rely on young players, whether having grown up domestically or imported from abroad.

While the South American and Asian leagues tend to be similar both in terms of age, with relatively few young players, and origin, with comparatively few expatriates, they differ greatly in terms of squad stability. The proportion of players who have been with the club for less than a year is almost 10% higher in the nine South American leagues than in the six Asian championships analysed: 49.0% compared with 23.8%.

Also regarding stability, there are spatial specificities within Europe too, with fairly different levels emerging around a double polarity of West (more stability) – East (less) and North (more stability) – South (less). These geographical differences also reflect economic disparities, with the most competitive clubs tending to have a more stable workforce than the others.

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According to the CIES Football Observatory’s 2023 survey on men’s professional club football, respondents believe that the fight against money laundering should be a top priority for regulatory bodies. More than six out of ten respondents (62.1%) consider indeed that action to counter money laundering through football is highly needed.

Fan racism (60.3%) and state-owned clubs (58.5%) are the other two areas where there is the strongest consensus that action is needed, followed by corruption (53.5%) and violence (51.8%). Almost one in two respondents also felt that action is highly needed in relation to commissions paid to agents and frauds in connection with transfer operations.

In contrast, of the 32 issues addressed, the three areas where respondents felt the least need for action are the quality of matches, their balance, as well as players’ aggressiveness. Among the societal issues surveyed, fan racism (action highly needed for 60.3% of respondents) is of greater concern than violence (51.8%), homophobia (42.1%) and sexism (29.0%).

The questionnaire was sent out in two languages to our subscribers, resulting in 1,100 valid responses. The main findings are published on our X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts or available on request.

Issue 437 of the CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the top 100 dribblers* in the world among players who have not yet celebrated their 23rd birthday. FC Barcelona’s prodigy Lamine Yamal (2007) tops the rankings in the European big-5, while Club Brugge’s superb Norwegian talent Antonio Nusa (2005) heads the list in the other 65 leagues analysed.

At European big-5 league level, Lamine Yamal is ahead of Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Luca Koleosho (Burnley), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli) and Girona’s Sávio Moreira (on loan from Troyes, as part of the City Group galaxy). Also in the top 10 notably are Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Buyako Saka (Arsenal) and Frosinone’s young Argentinean talent Matías Soulé (on loan from Juventus).

Outside the big-5, behind Antonio Nusa, there are two Brazilian prodigies: Luis Guilherme (2006) of Palmeiras and Wesley Gassova (2005) of Corinthians. Two other U20 players are in the top 10: the Ghanaians Issahaku Fatawu of Leicester City (on loan from Sporting CP with an option to buy) and Ibrahim Osman of Nordsjælland.

* Calculated from Wyscout data, the index used was obtained by multiplying the frequency of successful dribbles in domestic league matches, the success rate of dribbles attempted, as well as the sporting level of the matches played (as a percentage deviation from the overall average). The rankings only include footballers who played at least 450 domestic league minutes in current season.

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The 436th Weekly Post of the CIES Football Observatory presents the rankings of the teams that have trained* the most players active in 48 of the world’s major leagues (list in the Post). Ajax (86 players trained) is ahead of Benfica (85) and Sporting CP (83), while the Uruguayans of Defensor SC (82 trained) top the table among non-European teams ahead of Boca Juniors (81) and River Plate (79).

Ajax also has the highest score in the weighted training index (method in the Post), which takes into account the sporting level of the players trained. The Dutch team is ahead of Benfica and Barcelona, with Boca Juniors leading the table for non-European clubs ahead of city rivals River Plate. Two Ukrainian (Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk) and a Croatian team (Dinamo Zagreb) are in the top 10 positions of the weighted table.

The Weekly Post also presents the rankings for players active in four league sub-categories: the European big-5, with Real Madrid in first place (44 players trained); 31 top divisions of UEFA associations, with Ajax at the top (84); eleven American leagues, with SC Defensor first (70); as well as six Asian leagues, with the Chinese of Shandong Taishan heading the table (37).

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* Training clubs are those where players have been for at least three years between the ages of 15 and 21 (including the seasons of the 15th and 21st birthdays).

The 88th Monthly Report of the CIES Football Observatory analyses the brand new SkillCorner data on players’ run types during possession to classify the teams from 27 leagues worldwide according to the tendency of calling for the ball ‘at feet’ or ‘in space’. The study thus reveals the dominant strategies used by teams to organise attacking play.

Across the 27 leagues analysed, the highest proportion of ‘calls-for-the-ball’ runs into space (to receive the ball in front of the ball carrier) was measured in Mexico’s Liga MX, while the greatest percentage of ‘calls-for-the-ball’ runs at feet (to receive the ball mostly behind or laterally to the ball carrier) was recorded in Italy’s Serie A. At club level, the extreme values were observed for Cercle Brugge (‘in space’) and Burnley FC (‘at feet’).

Combined with physical data such as top speeds, number of accelerations or distances covered, SkillCorner’s ‘game intelligence’ statistics are very useful for clubs both on an individual and collective level. The possible applications range from defining a style of play and the tactical preparation of matches, the measurement of performance and its improvement, to recruitment choices and strategies.

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