KSV 1919 and Firstbeat Sports have entered into a strategic partnership to take player performance management and development to the next level for approximately 150 players across the professional and academy teams.
KSV 1919 uses Firstbeat Sports to monitor the workload and development of their professional players, youth athletes, and academy talents, helping guide individual performance improvements in the most effective way. The system is implemented across the entire club and plays a key role in supporting player development at the highest level.
Data-Driven Training Management for Maximum Performance
Thanks to Firstbeat Sports, the club’s coaches and athletic performance staff gain precise insights into each player’s physical workload. This data enables them to optimally adjust training intensities, avoid overtraining, and effectively manage recovery. This is especially crucial for younger players transitioning into professional football, as it helps them gradually adapt to higher training loads in a sustainable way.
“We continuously monitor our players’ individual baseline values to ensure training stays within the right intensity zones and is progressively increased. With the objective data from Firstbeat, we can adjust training in real time and align it with match-day demands to promote optimal development and recovery,” explains Markus Felfernig, Athletic Trainer at KSV 1919.
Higher Performance, Fewer Injuries
Through continuous workload monitoring and targeted tracking, the club has been able to significantly reduce the risk of muscle injuries over the past 18 months. “The challenge of regaining full performance after illness or injury highlights a common issue in elite sports: accurately determining recovery time varies greatly and must be tailored individually using objective player load data,” Felfernig adds.
Firstbeat as a Key Part of KSV 1919’s Philosophy
KSV 1919’s collaboration with Firstbeat Sports is a core element of their strategic direction. The combination of cutting-edge technology and a structured training approach helps them support their players in the best possible way – from academy prospects to the first team.
“Kapfenberg proves that even with limited financial resources, a well-integrated implementation of Firstbeat across the entire club enables targeted and long-term load management. The club is a true role model for how sports technology can be effectively used in modern football,” says Christoph Rottensteiner, Manager at Firstbeat Sports Europe.
Using this data-driven approach, KSV 1919 ensures they remain competitive at a high sporting level while placing long-term player development at the heart of everything they do.
Learn more about managing training load in soccer by downloading our free training load guide for soccer coaches here.
About Firstbeat
Firstbeat provides advanced performance analytics for over 1,000 sports teams around the world. Firstbeat Sports is the leading athlete performance management platform, providing data on athlete training load, intensity, fitness, performance readiness, stress, and recovery to optimize performance, reduce injury risk, and fast-track athlete development.
