How Sports Data Helped Bundesliga Club Significantly Decrease Injuries
In the Bundesliga, 1. FC Union Berlin has emerged as the unexpected frontrunner in one statistic. Union made waves when it took the lead in a vital metric — having the least number of injury-related absences. Could sports data be the key factor contributing to their success?
During the 2021 – 22 season, 1. FC Union Berlin played internationally for the first time in club history. More than just a side note: despite the highly increased load, Union qualified for the UEFA Europa League while their players missed fewer days due to injury than those of all other Bundesliga clubs.
The Berlin club’s performance coach Martin Krüger explains his approach and how KINEXON’s player tracking facilitated the process.
Despite the unusual load playing in the UEFA Conference League, Union Berlin’s players only missed 785 days due to injury during the 2021 – 22 season: less than every other club in Germany’s 1. Bundesliga. Players on average took 26.17 days to recover from injury — another league-wide low.
The Fewest Days of Absence Due to Injury in the Bundesliga
Despite the unusual load playing in the UEFA Conference League, Union Berlin’s players only missed 785 days due to injury during the 2021 – 22 season: less than every other club in Germany’s 1. Bundesliga.
Players on average took 26.17 days to recover from injury — another league-wide low.In that category, Eintracht Frankfurt finished second (30.55 days). Martin Krüger, performance coach of Union’s first men’s team, attributed that partly to a new feature the club introduced at the beginning of the season.
Berlin's Strategy: Lead Players to Peak Performance and Prevent Injuries at the Same Time
After Union’s youth teams had gained positive experience using the technology, the club also introduced the mobile, cloud and GPS-based KINEXON PERFORM GNSS for the club’s women’s and men’s 1st teams to collect load data of all players live.
The goal: improving and professionalising the performance-data analysis process. Considering Union’s limited financial resources, the club intended to lead its players systematically to their peak-performance level while preventing injuries as efficiently as possible.
During an interview, Martin Krüger explains how KINEXON’s player tracking and metrics supported him to control the load and reduce risks of injuries.
How Player Tracking Helps with Load Management
Martin, during the 2021 – 22 season, Union’s Bundesliga pros tracked their training sessions with KINEXON for the first time. Which advantages did the data present to you as a performance coach?
Martin Krüger: It helps tremendously that I receive objective values. I don’t have to guess. Instead, it is written in cold print: how well did a player perform? What did he not do? After receiving those insights, I can increase or decrease the load during our sessions.
The so-called PERFORM GNSS system by KINEXON provides over 200 metrics. Which ones do you use?
Krüger: I like to focus on basic metrics: sprints, high-intensity runs, total distance covered, duration, and heart rate over 90% HRmax. In competitive sports, I do not need to know how long a player performed under 50 per cent stress. What interests me is how long a player works at maximum load.
Can you give an example of how you use a specific metric and which advantage that presents?
Krüger: Let’s take sprints and maximum speed: as shown in several studies, the best injury prevention strategy is to reach your top speed at least once in seven days. That is a critical metric. Analysing ACWR, the Acute Chronic Workload Ratio, sprints and high-intensity runs give the highest input on muscular load.
The output means injury or not. Hence, I ensure we don’t do too much or little in that respect. There is a range which players need to work within. For this, data helps tremendously. We use that to manage the load
What is the procedure?
Krüger: Via the KINEXON Sports App, I define goals and, during training sessions, monitor if players reach their individual goals. With metrics like maximum speed, I also need the players’ and physiotherapists’ feedback. During massages, they feel if muscles are a little tight. After receiving the feedback, I look closely at the data once more and check whether it has been a bit much for the player.
Then, we talk: “How are you? Do you feel tired? Are you not feeling well“. The moment a player agrees, he’s not making any sprints that day.
If you’d like find out more about 1. FC Union Berlin’s work with KINEXON. please download the case study below:
More stories
From Court to Code: The Analytics Behind Athletic Success
In the high-stakes world of competitive basketball, small margins make the difference between winning and losing. This is where optimization becomes the cornerstone of athletic performance. The focus is not just on finding a magic formula, but on creating the conditions for athletes to consistently operate at their best.
Increasing Shooting Efficiency With Data-Informed Insights
As basketball training evolves, teams are embracing data-informed insights to augment shooting efficiency. With every shot carrying potential season-changing weight in competition, refining practice intensity and replicating in-game pressure are key to gaining a competitive edge.
Maximizing Performance During March Madness: Key Strategies & Load Metrics for Coaches
March Madness is one of the most intense and physically demanding periods in collegiate basketball. The congested schedule, high-pressure stakes, and minimal time for recovery require an evidence-based approach to reach and maintain peak performance while mitigating injury risk throughout the tournament.
Optimizing Performance and Reducing Injuries in Professional Basketball
The landscape of professional basketball is evolving rapidly, with teams placing a greater emphasis on performance optimization and injury prevention. In a highly competitive environment like the EuroLeague, where the ultimate goal is to win games and championships, maintaining peak player performance while minimizing injuries is a fundamental challenge.
The Perfect Training Week: How KINEXON Sports Supports Smarter Coaching Decisions
Every coach knows the feeling – standing on the sidelines before a game, confident that the team is fully prepared. The training week went well, the players were engaged, and everything felt right. And when the final whistle confirms the win, the inevitable question arises:
What made this week so effective? How can we replicate it?
How Texas A&M Women’s Basketball Used Data to Prevent Knee Injuries
Knee injuries are a major concern in women’s basketball, with ACL injuries accounting for a significant portion of these issues. Managing player workload is key to injury prevention, but achieving the right balance between training and recovery is challenging. The Texas A&M Women’s Basketball team faced this dilemma and turned to a data-driven approach to optimize player health and performance.
KINEXON Tracking Technologies Earn Top Marks in FIFA EPTS Performance Tests
When it comes to tracking technology in sports, precision is everything. And once again, KINEXON has proven why it’s a leader in the field. Our cutting-edge KINEXON PERFORM GPS Elite, GPS Pro, and LPS tracking systems recently underwent FIFA’s 2024 Electronic Performance and Tracking System (EPTS) performance tests — and the results were nothing short of outstanding.
Transforming Sports in 2025: Insights from KINEXON Sports for Coaches, Fans, and Referees
As sports technology evolves, 2025 promises to be a landmark year with KINEXON Sports at the forefront. Renowned for its innovations in real-time tracking and analytics, KINEXON Sports is revolutionizing the way athletes, coaches, fans, and referees experience the game.
From delivering game-changing insights to enhancing fan engagement and officiating precision, here’s what to expect from KINEXON Sports in 2025.
How Jump Count Analytics Drive Arizona State Volleyball’s Training and Match Success
Adjusting practice schedules is a fine line for coaches to walk to maximize player performance. Arizona State’s Jake Garrity, the Assistant Head Coach of Sports Performance/Sports Science for women’s volleyball, focuses on live jump count performance analytics to lay the foundation for when the coaching staff adjusts practice intensity.
5 Facts That (Probably) Nobody Knew About KINEXON Sports Teams
Ten years ago, KINEXON Sports embarked on a journey to revolutionize the game. What began as a bold idea in Munich’s iconic Allianz Arena has evolved into a global success story, empowering over 500 elite sports teams worldwide.
As we reflect on this incredible decade, here are five surprising facts about KINEXON Sports that showcase how far we’ve come — and where we’re headed next.
Influence of the Menstrual Cycle in Team Sports – What Sports Need Now
Professionalization also brings with it more performance, more strain, and more pressure. For female athletes, this still means an increased risk of injury. The reason: individualized training and workload management must take the hormonal cycle into account. Studies on this are accumulating, but a challenge remains.
Inside Stony Brook Athletics: The Benefits of a Multi-Sport Data Analytics Provider
Stony Brook University, known for research excellence, has upgraded its athlete performance monitoring and player safety efforts with KINEXON technology. We spoke with George Greene (Senior Associate Athletic Director of High Performance) and his team about their work to optimize training and enhance sports performance insights.
Load Management in Basketball: When Does Player Tracking Become Financially Beneficial?
Player load tracking in basketball: How does data-based injury prevention, like reducing Jumper’s Knee, become financially beneficial for clubs?
GPS Data Boosts Player Performance, Motivation and Coaches' Confidence in SD Eibar Women's Club
To better manage player load, the SD Eibar’s women’s football team switched to a data-driven strategy powered by GPS. It’s a move that their physical trainer, Ismel Mazola says, led to more confident coaching decisions and motivated his players.
How Basketball Data Helps Guide Texas A&M Women's Team to Early Conference Wins
After the holidays, many teams struggle to get back on track. But not Texas A&M Women’s Basketball. Their Strength and Conditioning coach uses data and analytics to avoid a slump and start fast in conference play.