The road to victory in the UEFA Women's Champions League: A multi-level analysis of successful coaches, teams, and countries. (November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Filho, Edson; Rettig, Jean
• Is Part Of: Psychology of sport and exercise. Volume 39(2018)
• Page Start: 132
• Page End: 146
• Publication Date: 2018-11
• Subjects: Coaching -- Expert performance -- Women's football -- UEFA Champions League -- Hierarchical linear modeling; Sports -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Exercise -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; Sports -- Periodicals; Exercise -- Periodicals; Societies, Medical -- Periodicals; Psychology; Sports; Exercise; Societies, Medical; Sports -- Aspect psychologique -- Périodiques; Exercice -- Aspect psychologique -- Périodiques; 613.71019
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.07.012
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1469-0292

Abstract

Abstract: Objectives: To explore coach-level, team-level, and country-level factors associated with performance in the UEFA Women's Champions League. Design: This study involved archival analysis of factual data on teams and coaches participating in the UEFA Women's Champions League (2011–12 until 2015–16). Method: Official data records were provided by UEFA. Hierarchical linear modeling analysis was used to predict performance in the UEFA Women's Champions League. Specifically, coaches' characteristics (level-1 variables), team factors (level-2 variables), and country information (level-3 variables) were tested as predictors of performance (final rank, ranging from 1 to 32). Results: Data analysis yielded a two- and three-level solution. The two-level solution was deemed more realistic and applied, and was chosen as the omnibus final model. Within the two-level solution, years coaching experience in Champions League at level-1 (γ10 = −2.90), and number of times team has won Champions League (γ01 = −7.13) and number of international players (γ02 = −1.08) at level-2, predict final performance at the UEFA Women's Champions League (i.e., negative coefficient is indicative of performance improvement). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the quality of the team, positive cross-cultural effects from an international roster, and the experience of the coach are positively associated with performance in the UEFA Women's Champions League. Highlights: Over 85% of the coaches in the UEFA Women's Champions League are male. More experienced coaches are more likely to be successful or, alternatively, successful coaches keep their jobs for a longer time. Successful teams at the UEFA Women's Champions League win because of the quality of the "team as a whole". Internationalization is a good thing. For every international player on the team, performance improved by about 1 position.