When Brazil step onto Russian turf for this summer's World Cup, they will be wearing equipment supplied by an Irish company.
Newry-based STATSports announced on Tuesday that it has agreed a long-term deal to supply its player monitoring device to the Brazilian Football Confederation.
The company is a leading provider of GPS player tracking equipment. Brazil will be just one of eight teams to use its APEX Team Series GPS device at the World Cup. Others include Germany, Portugal, Belgium, England, Poland, Denmark and Morocco.
For Brazil to change its supplier to STATSports from Australian company Catapult Sports is seen as a major coup by company co-founder Sean O'Connor.
For the CBF to swap performance monitoring provider at this stage in the build-up to a World Cup is a huge decision and illustrates the excellence of the Apex system which is used by dozens of international football’s leading nations.
Our APEX device gives coaches access to real-time data on individual players and the team as a whole during training and matches. This means Brazil can tailor each training session to ensure that players reach peak condition come matchday, giving them the opportunity to perform at their best on the biggest stage.
"We want to make sure we leave no stone unturned when it comes to our preparation for this summer’s World Cup and beyond," said Guilherme Passos, a physiologist with the Brazilian Football Confederation.
"A key part of this preparation is the technology we use to monitor the load we are placing on our players during sessions.
"Having thoroughly assessed all available products on the market, it quickly became apparent that STATSports were the only provider who could match the ambitions of the Confederation."
Below, Passos further explains the type of data which the technology provides and the decisions it helps coaches make.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0zjB7of1aE
