Wearable Technology in Soccer: How It Helps and Hurts

Matias Lopez Carrete

HST 401 A 

Final Paper

 

Wearable Technology in Soccer: How It Helps and Hurts

Introduction

Today, wearable technology is changing the way soccer players train, play, and recover from injuries. Devices like GPS trackers, heart rate monitors, motion sensors, and smart insoles are now common in professional soccer. These tools help coaches and trainers track player movements, stress levels, and overall performance. Clubs like Manchester City and FC Barcelona have used this technology to improve player safety and fitness. But not everything about wearable tech is good. Some coaches don’t like using it, some players get hurt by pushing themselves to improve their stats, and there are questions about how much we should trust this kind of data. One player who shows how this tech is used is Dejan Kulusevski, who has had his performances tracked closely during his career.

How Wearable Technology Works in Soccer

Wearable devices help coaches and trainers collect information about how players move and how much physical stress they are under. GPS trackers and heart rate monitors are used to watch how far and fast a player runs and how hard their heart is working. Motion sensors help check the player’s speed and changes in direction. Smart insoles can tell if the way a player moves is putting too much pressure on certain muscles or joints. According to the website Ballathlete.com (2024), clubs use this data to prevent overtraining, which can lead to injuries.

A group of men wearing sports uniforms AI-generated content may be incorrect.For example, the German national team used wearable technology to help them during the 2014 World Cup. They tracked how tired players were getting and changed their training based on that. This helped them stay healthy and go on to win the tournament (Hudl.com, 2024). Manchester City also used GPS trackers and heart monitors to find out when players were pushing too hard. This helped them avoid soft-tissue injuries like pulled muscles (Ballathlete.com, 2024). Even young players at FC Barcelona wear vests with sensors so that coaches can stop problems before they turn into serious injuries (BMC Sports Science, 2023).

Dejan Kulusevski and the Focus on Player Stats

Dejan Kulusevski is a professional soccer player who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and used to play for Juventus. Like many top players, his performances are tracked very closely. Coaches watch his sprint speeds, how far he runs, and even how tired he gets. This helps them decide when to use him in matches or when to rest him.

A person in a football uniform clapping AI-generated content may be incorrect.But all of this focus on stats can be stressful for players. Kulusevski might feel pressure to keep his numbers high, like his sprint distance or assists per game. Websites like Art of Football (2025) have talked about how too much attention on performance data can make players feel like numbers instead of people. It also means that creative or smart plays that don’t show up in the stats may be ignored.

The Good Side of Wearable Tech

Even with the downsides, wearable technology can help a lot. According to BMC Sports Science (2023), the data collected from these devices can be used to make special recovery plans for each player. If a player shows signs of being tired or sore in a certain area, coaches can change their training or give them extra rest.

Some devices even use artificial intelligence (AI) to predict when a player might get hurt. The Journal of Sports Analytics (2024) explains that wearables can track things like heart rate changes and running patterns. If something looks off, the system can warn the coaches before a player gets seriously injured. In games, live data can help coaches decide when to make substitutions so that players do not get too tired or hurt. This kind of fast decision making helped many teams during the 2022 and 2023 soccer seasons.

Why Some Coaches Don’t Like the Technology

Not all coaches are excited about using wearable technology. Some believe that it takes away from the natural feel of the game. They think a coach’s experience and instincts are more important than computer data. Others feel overwhelmed by the large amount of information that these devices produce. If a coach doesn’t have training in data science or doesn’t work with an analyst, they may not know how to understand the numbers correctly.

The Journal of Sports Analytics (2024) says that many youth coaches are unsure if wearable tech really helps. They worry that players are being treated like machines, and that coaches are spending more time looking at computer screens than actually coaching. If coaches are confused by the data or don’t trust it, they may stop using the technology altogether.

 

recovery from hamstring injury ...Can Wearables Actually Cause Injuries?

It might sound strange, but sometimes wearable tech can actually lead to injuries instead of preventing them. One way this happens is when the devices are uncomfortable or don’t fit right. For example, chest straps can make it harder to breathe, and smart insoles might change the way a player runs. If the equipment changes how the body moves, it can create new problems.

Another issue is how players react to being constantly watched. Players like Dejan Kulusevski know that their every move is being tracked. They may push themselves too hard in training to improve their numbers. For example, they might keep sprinting even when they are tired just to look good in the stats. This can lead to pulled muscles or other injuries. Ballathlete.com (2024) says that even with all the new tech, injuries have been going up because players don’t have enough time to recover between matches. Playing too many games in a short amount of time is still a big problem, even with all the tracking tools.

What’s Coming Next and Things to Think About

In the future, wearable technology will become even more advanced. According to FIFA's Tech Report (2023), sensors will get smaller and lighter. They might even be built right into clothing, like in socks, shin guards, or shirts. This will make them more comfortable and easier to use.

More powerful AI will be able to look at more information at once. It will be able to combine data from things like sprint speed, heart rate, and even how well a player is sleeping to predict injuries. Also, scientists are working on using genetics and metabolism information to create perfect training and diet plans for each player (BMC Sports Science, 2023).

But all of this brings up big questions. Who owns the data that is being collected? Will clubs use this information to make decisions about contracts or trades? Some players worry that they are being watched too closely and that their private health data could be used against them. The Art of Football Blog (2025) talks about how player tracking could become unfair if it is not done with care.

Conclusion

Wearable technology is changing soccer in big ways. It helps teams keep players safe, recover faster, and perform better. Players like Dejan Kulusevski are great examples of how these tools are being used in modern soccer. But there are also problems. Some coaches don’t like relying on machines to make decisions. Some players get hurt from pushing too hard to boost their numbers. And sometimes the technology doesn’t work perfectly.

The key to using wearable technology the right way is to find a balance. Coaches and players need to use the data wisely but not let it take over the game. Technology should help the sport, not replace the human side of it. If used carefully, wearable tech can make soccer safer and smarter without losing what makes it special.

 

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