Senior leaders’ perceptions of effective performance support teams in elite football: introducing the “Football Performance Support Model”
Author: Liam Mason et al
Journal: Managing Sport and Leisure (2026)
AI generated summary
This qualitative study explores senior leaders’ perceptions of what constitutes effective performance support teams in elite professional football and introduces the Football Performance Support (FPS) Model. Thirteen senior stakeholders—sporting directors, head coaches, and heads of performance—from elite clubs in England and Scotland were interviewed using in-depth, semi-structured methods. Guided by a critical realist perspective, the authors used retroductive thematic analysis to identify the key structures and mechanisms underpinning effective performance support.
Three interrelated themes emerged.
First, philosophical alignment was seen as fundamental. Effective performance support must simultaneously align with the club’s long-term vision, the head coach’s playing philosophy, and operate through interdisciplinary teamwork rather than siloed disciplinary practice. Misalignment between these elements was perceived to undermine decision-making, create conflicting agendas, and reduce overall effectiveness.
Second, the importance of aligned Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) was strongly emphasised. Senior leaders highlighted three central KPI domains:
- providing timely, contextualised performance insight,
- improving on-pitch performance in line with “what it takes to win,” and
- improving player availability through shared responsibility across departments.
KPIs were viewed as effective only when clearly connected to the club vision and head coach approach, regularly reviewed, and consistently applied across all performance disciplines.
Third, team member attributes were identified as the foundation of effective performance support. Leaders stressed a triad of practitioner knowledge: professional knowledge (technical and football-specific expertise), interpersonal knowledge (communication, relationship-building, collaboration), and intrapersonal knowledge (self-awareness, humility, reflection). Without these attributes, even well-designed structures and KPIs were unlikely to function effectively.
Bringing these findings together, the authors propose the Football Performance Support Model, which positions club vision and head coach approach at the top, supported by aligned KPIs and interdisciplinary working, and underpinned by high-quality practitioner attributes. The model offers a practical framework for sporting directors and performance leaders to design, evaluate, and improve performance support systems in elite football. The study concludes that effective performance support is not defined by individual disciplines or technologies, but by alignment, leadership, and people working cohesively toward shared goals
