Aspire in the World Fellows Book - 2025

104 105 11TH ASPIRE ACADEMY GLOBAL SUMMIT ASPIRE IN THE WORLD FELLOWS [ 08.2 ] FranciscoTavares Headof Football Physical Performance SportingClubedePortugal When a player gets injured, we start with a multidisciplinary review. I bring together the head of physio, physical performance, strength and conditioning, and the squad physio. We analyze everything from environmental factors (e.g., pitch changes) to load-related issues (e.g., tournament spikes) and organizational constraints.Weclassify each case into three categories: hard-to-avoid, avoidable but outside our control, and avoidable within our control. Category 3 injuries power department growth the most as we explicitly interrogate our practice and improve systems. Category 2 triggers club-level structural reflection whilst Category 1 acknowledges inherent risk of football. Our rehab model involves physios with strength and conditioning backgrounds leading the process from day one to team integration, minimizing handoffs and maximizing continuity. In parallel, S&C staff maintain general fitness via off-feet conditioning for lower-limb injuries, protect body composition, and target individual needs in non-injured limbs. This keeps global athletic qualities intact while injury-specific work progresses coherently. We reframe long-term injuries as opportunities. When players are out for months, we can address weaknesses that competition schedules never allow us to fix. This period becomes a chance to improve physical qualities, mental resilience, and even tactical understanding. By reframing rehab as development, we keep players motivated and engaged. Benchmarks guide us, but they’re not the whole story. We look at whether the player can handle the micro cycle loads, train at intensity, and tolerate consecutive sessions. In youth football, training can exceed match demands, so we reference both training and match loads; in first teams, the match is our anchor. Importantly, achieving metrics does not equal being ready for the chaos of football—we must re-expose athletes progressively to unpredictable, game- like stimuli. Here, communication with national teams is critical. We share what we’ve done, what we plan to do, and give clear guidance especially like avoiding 90 minutes straight away. Once the player leaves, the federation decides, but our transparency helps reduce risk. Confidence is another big factor. Some players push to return early; others hesitate. Our role is to expose them gradually to chaotic game situations, show objective data, and help them feel ready. Ultimately, the decision is the coaches’, but we make sure it’s safe and the players are informed. I see injury management as a cultural process. It’s not just about protocols; it’s about creating an environment where learning from setbacks is normal. Every injury review is a chance to improve—not just for the player, but for the entire system. That mindset ensures we evolve continuously and deliver better outcomes season after season. We also integrate psychological support, because confidence and motivation are as critical as physical benchmarks. When players feel supported holistically, they return stronger—not just physically, but mentally prepared for the demands of elite football. [ 08.2 ] Adrianvander Ploeg LeadAcademyPhysical DevelopmentCoach TottenhamHotspur F.C. My role is leading gym-based work for the under-21s including testing, reporting, and programming. I also shape the academy’s gym philosophy, which means convincing players that the gym matters even when often it doesn’t look like football! I do that by linking every exercise to on-pitch performance, ensuring maximal transfer of any strength gains. In rehab, I get involved as soon as doctors allow. I see rehab as a chance to develop qualities that competition never allows. By reframing injury as an opportunity, we keep players motivated and engaged. This mindset shift is critical for long-term success and confidence. Our reconditioning coach handles conditioning (off-foot initially, then periodized running), while I start gym work straightaway—often training the non-injured limb and developing qualities we can improve pre- and post-surgery. Short (≈10-day) injuries tend to be physio-led; longer rehabs benefit from early, structured strength work. Peak performance isn’t just hitting numbers, it’s doing your job in the tactical system repeatedly with quality. Benchmarks, however, grant confidence that an athlete can withstand kinetic demands. For hamstring cases, our diagnostics profile supporting structures beyond hamstrings—quads, gastrocnemius, soleus, adductor magnus, etc.—so programming addresses the whole demand chain. Operational thresholds we might use as an example: single-leg ISO squat (~4× body weight), standing peak plantarflexion (~80–85%), and seated soleus (≥2–2.5× body weight). For starting to run, low-speed running imposes ground reaction forces around 2.7× body weight, so quad/calf scores should exceed that, supported by volume accumulation, hopping progressions, and careful pathways (e.g., hydro → AlterG → pitch for joint issues). These criteria connect gym readiness to microcycle running tolerance. We chase physical qualities aggressively during long rehabs because team schedules rarely permit significant gains. I’ve seen players return stronger, even hitting new top speeds, with one player reaching nearly 38 km/h after a complex hamstring rehab. Such objective wins power psychological readiness: a new max speed validates the process and restores belief not only for the player but also in the strategy of the club. Some will still be cautious; meeting them where they are is part of elite return-to-play. When players lack confidence, we listen first then adapt their load. We follow up to educate with data, showing healed scans, sprint exposures, and progression proofs as well as on-field controlled chaotic drills to rebuild trust. For me, benchmarks aren’t the finish line. They’re the green light to re-enter the real demands of football. ROUND TABLE