ABSTRACT
At the very highest level in soccer the physiological or anthropometrical attributes of players do not differentiate between those who are successful and those who are less successful (e.g., Reilly, Williams, Nevill, and Franks, 2000). For example, consider the 2011 Champions League Final at Wembley, which pitted Manchester United, the champions of England, against Barcelona, the champions of Spain. Barcelona was unlikely to have prevailed over Manchester United because of having larger, stronger or fitter players. At this level there are more compelling arguments that the technical, psychological (e.g., mental toughness, resilience under pressure) and ‘game intelligence’ (e.g., anticipation and decision making) attributes of the players are the discriminating factors, along with the strategic and tactical plan developed by the coaching staff, and the manner in which it is implemented by players.
