Junior to senior transition pathway in Italian Football: The rocky road to the top is not determined by youth national team's selections.

ABSTRACT: Football is a popular sport, but little is known about the youth-to-senior transition rates in elite players, particularly in large and successful countries. This study aims to investigate the youth-to-senior transition rate in the Italian national football team, both prospectively and retrospectively, and to explore if Relative Age Effects (RAEs) affect this transition. Data from 885 players selected in youth and senior Italian national teams between 2000 and 2021 were included in the study. For each player, the birthdate and the number of selection in Under 16, 17, 19, 21 and senior team was considered. The transition rate was determined by the number of youth players competing in the Senior National team (and vice versa), whilst birth quarter (Q) distributions with a chi-square goodness

SUBMITTER: Boccia G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10353809 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature