Irish company STATSports net World Cup contract with Brazil

BRAZIL’S World Cup tilt in Russia this summer will be assisted by an Irish company.

Newry firm STATSports have tied up an arrangement with the Brazil Football Confederation (CBF) which will help them in the area of data analysis.

STATSports have grown into a leading player in providing GPS player tracking and analysis equipment for elite teams.

And Brazil have become the latest client to sign up with the company for the use of their technology.

The Brazilian team will wear an APEX Team Series GPS device which tracks the performance of players during training and games.

It provides real-time feedback to coaching staff and players that measures performance under a number of headings such as the distance covered, speed and acceleration.

This also leads to insights on the level of fatigue and the risk of injury.

“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 CBF.

Brazil aren’t the only nation that STATSports will be helping during the finals.

They also have agreements with defending champions Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Poland, Denmark, Morocco and neighbours England which allows the teams to avail of the technology.

STATSports was founded a decade ago and has grown into a global player in its field.

They have clients in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and MLS as well as in the NFL and NBA.

Earlier this year, they signed a partnership with the IRFU to deliver GPS tracking and performance monitoring technology for every senior professional rugby player in Ireland. They are working with all four provinces as well as the national team.

Last month, they announced a significant deal with US Soccer to provide equipment to their teams at all levels.