Lusófona University receives international award for football research

Lusófona University’s Faculty of Physical Education and Sport (FDEF) won the award for Best Oral Presentation at the international Science in Football conference, organised by the Portuguese Football Federation’s (FPF) PFS Academy, reinforcing the relevance of the applied research developed by the institution in close collaboration with the sports community.

The study “Greater Hip Adductor Strength Gains With Static vs Dynamic Exercise in Male Footballers – An Ecological Randomized Controlled Trial”, led by Professor Eduardo Teixeira, lecturer at FDEF and Director of the Master’s in Exercise and Health (MES), was developed in partnership with Sport Clube Beira-Mar and was selected as the best presentation among more than 50 oral presentations delivered during the event.

Presented by Guy Sauce, Coordinator of the Performance Optimisation Department at SC Beira-Mar, the study is being carried out as part of a master’s dissertation and internship project. The team also includes Leandro Oliveira, a student in the Master’s in Football Coaching, Filipe Ponte and Bernardo Tavares, students in the Master’s in Exercise and Health, and Guenadi Gálvez from SC Beira-Mar, reflecting an interdisciplinary collaboration between academia and professional practice.

The event took place on 4 and 5 May 2026 at the FPF’s Cidade do Futebol, bringing together researchers and specialists who presented studies on some of the most current and relevant topics in football performance.

This distinction recognises the quality of the research, teaching and advanced training promoted by Lusófona University. It also highlights the impact of partnerships established with leading national institutions, strengthening knowledge transfer and the University’s connection with the sports community.