Fotbollstränares objektiva och subjektiva bedömningar vid rekrytering av manliga fotbollsspelare i Ettanfotboll. : En kvalitativ studie

Sammanfattning

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine how football coaches in Ettan, the third highest division of Swedish football, work with player recruitment and which factors influence the final decision. Method This study is a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews with four different coaches from the league, which enables an in-depth but not generalizable understanding of the phenomenon. The results from the interviews were analysed through a thematic analysis. Results The final results indicated that recruitment in Ettan is based on a combination of objective and subjective assessments, where objective tools such as statistics, performance data and scouting platforms are mainly used in the early stages of the process, specifically to identify potential players and create an initial selection. These tools provide structure and efficiency in a semi-professional environment with limited resources. However, the final decision is largely influenced by subjective assessments. Coaches named factors that are difficult to measure statistically, such as game intelligence, players personality, motivation, role acceptance and how good a player fits the team's group dynamics and playing style. The findings also indicated that recruitment is not a linear process and is a countinous interaction where data, experience and practical conditions are weighed together. Conclusion The study concludes that a final recruitment in Ettan depends on holistic assessments which objective tools support decision making, while coaches' contextual understanding remains crucial in the final decisions.