Now at Selangor FC
Beyond Performance
Professional Football Performance Coach
I take footballers beyond their limits, with method, data and an energy that is contagious.
About me
Science with a human touch
My passion is helping teams and athletes reach their goals and become a better version of themselves.
Nearly a decade in professional football across Europe, Asia and the Americas has taught me one thing: no two players are the same.
“Everything I do is for the player.”
I combine sports science, data and individualised training, but it always starts with the person: listening to how each player feels, understanding what they need and helping them perform, recover and grow.
- Spanish
- Catalan
- English
Passionate
I live every session and every match with the same intensity as the first day.
Energetic
Energy is contagious: hard work is easier when you enjoy it.
Demanding
Very demanding with myself and with others, because the player deserves our best every day.
Hong Kong 2016
Spain 2019
India 2022
Mexico 2023
England 2025
Malaysia 2026
Experience
Professional experience
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2026 – Present
Head of Performance & S&C Coach
Selangor FC Malaysia Super League · Malaysia
Lead the first team's physical preparation as head fitness coach and coordinate the whole performance department (fitness, nutrition, physiotherapy and medical) so every area works towards the same goal.
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2025 – 2026
Head of Performance & S&C Coach
Watford FC EFL Championship · England
As the club's fitness coach, took on the Head of Performance duties: supported the head coach's own fitness coach and oversaw all the physical work carried out with the squad.
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2023 – 2025
Head of Performance & S&C Coach
Cancún FC Liga de Expansión MX · Mexico
- Champion · Apertura 2023
- Champion of Champions · 2024
Led the performance department: planned the first team's physical training and coordinated the medical staff, nutritionists and assistant fitness coaches.
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2022 – 2023
Head of Performance & S&C Coach
FC Goa Indian Super League · India
Worked alongside the coaching staff to manage training loads, run strength programmes and guide players through the final stages of their return from injury, helping the squad perform at its best and stay injury-free.
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2022
Assistant Coach & S&C Coach
CE Europa 2ª RFEF · Spain
Assisted the head coach, managed training loads and supervised sessions so the players were fit and ready for every match.
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2021
Strength & Conditioning Coach
Águilas FC 2ª RFEF · Spain
Planned and delivered the team's physical training, working closely with the medical staff on injury prevention and on players' return to play.
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2020 – 2021
Strength & Conditioning Coach
Lleida Esportiu 2ª RFEF · Spain
In charge of the team's physical preparation, working hand in hand with the medical staff to prevent injuries and bring injured players safely back to competition.
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2020 – Present
Co-founder & Sports Performance Director
Entrenna Spain
Co-founded the company and lead its strength and conditioning area, creating training methods that help athletes perform better.
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2019 – 2020
Head of Performance
Kaptiva Sports Academy Barcelona · Spain
Led the academy's performance department, creating its training methodology and overseeing programmes tailored to each player's development.
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2016 – 2018
Strength & Conditioning Coach
K.C. Southern Hong Kong Premier League · Hong Kong
Designed and delivered strength and conditioning programmes for professional footballers, using monitoring technology to track each player's workload and recovery.
Built in training. Proven on match day.
Education
Always learning
3 Degrees
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2019 – 2021
Master’s in High Performance in Team Sports
Mastercede · University of Barcelona
Professional master’s degree.
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2011 – 2015
BSc in Physical Activity & Sports Sciences
INEF · University of Lleida
Four-year university degree.
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2009 – 2011
Advanced Technician in Physical & Sports Activities
TAFAD · University of Lleida
Two-year higher vocational diploma.
8 Certifications
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In progress
CSCS
NSCA · National Strength and Conditioning Association
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.
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In progress
XPS
EXOS
EXOS Performance Specialist.
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2023
CFSC · Levels 1 & 2
Michael Boyle
Certified Functional Strength Coach.
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2023
Decision-making with EPTS (WIMU)
Hudl Academy
Using GPS and tracking data to guide training decisions.
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2021
ISAK Anthropometry · Level 1
International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry
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2018
Smart Performance mentorship
STATSports
Mentorship programme on GPS performance monitoring.
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2018
Training for Team Sports
FCB Universitas
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2017 – 2018
Football Coach · Levels 1 & 2
Valencian Football Federation
Skills
Areas of expertise
Sports performance
Building high-performance teams by boosting individual and collective efficiency, with a game-based model that adapts to each player's position and role.
Load control
Workload management based on each player's biomarkers to improve wellbeing and performance. Internal load is tracked with heart rate, blood lactate and RPE; external load with GPS.
Functional assessments
A full-body screen of movement quality that identifies asymmetries and weak points, laying the foundation players need to meet the demands of competition.
Strength training
Individualised strength training that raises performance according to each player's needs.
Injury prevention
Specific work for each player, designed from their functional assessment, to prevent the most common injuries.
Recovery protocols
Planned recovery after training and matches, from cold-water immersion to sleep, nutrition and wellness monitoring, so players arrive fresh for the next session.
Return to play
Individual reconditioning after injury, so the affected area can handle training and match demands safely and at full capacity.
Insights
Research behind my work
Strength The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials Lauersen, Bertelsen & Andersen · British Journal of Sports Medicine · 2014
Key takeaway
Across 25 trials and more than 26,000 athletes, strength training was the most effective way to prevent injuries, cutting them to less than a third. Stretching showed no protective effect.
Systematic review · Meta-analysisRead the study
Strength Including the Nordic hamstring exercise in injury prevention programmes halves the rate of hamstring injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 8459 athletes van Dyk, Behan & Whiteley · British Journal of Sports Medicine · 2019
Key takeaway
Across 8,459 athletes, prevention programmes that included the Nordic hamstring exercise cut hamstring injury rates by about half.
Systematic review · Meta-analysisRead the study
Strength Strength training in professional soccer: effects on short-sprint and jump performance Núñez, Suárez-Arrones, De Hoyo & Loturco · International Journal of Sports Medicine · 2022
Key takeaway
In first-division players, different strength protocols produced similar sprint and jump gains, with smaller effects in-season than in pre-season.
Meta-analysisRead the study
Strength Effects of velocity loss during resistance training on athletic performance, strength gains and muscle adaptations Pareja-Blanco et al. · Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports · 2017
Key takeaway
Stopping each set at a 20% loss of bar speed gave similar strength gains and bigger jump improvements than training to 40%, with 40% fewer repetitions. Measuring velocity lets you train with less fatigue.
Randomised trial · VBTRead the study
Training If you want to prevent hamstring injuries in soccer, run fast: a narrative review about practical considerations of sprint training Gómez-Piqueras & Alcaraz · Sports · 2024
Key takeaway
Sprinting is both a performance quality and a likely protective factor against hamstring injury. The authors propose a practical model covering acceleration, deceleration, change of direction and curved sprinting.
Narrative reviewRead the study
Training High-speed running and sprinting as an injury risk factor in soccer: can well-developed physical qualities reduce the risk? Malone et al. · Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport · 2018
Key takeaway
Sharp increases in high-speed running and sprinting raised injury risk in elite players, but those with better intermittent fitness and higher chronic workloads coped with the same demands much better.
Prospective cohortRead the study
Training In-season internal and external training load quantification of an elite European soccer team Oliveira et al. · PLoS ONE · 2019
Key takeaway
Over a full season with 19 elite players, both GPS and RPE loads were clearly lower on the day before matches (MD-1), while load changed little from one block of the season to the next.
Original researchRead the study
Monitoring The training–injury prevention paradox: should athletes be training smarter and harder? Gabbett · British Journal of Sports Medicine · 2016
Key takeaway
Athletes used to high training loads get injured less than those who train lightly. Most non-contact injuries come from sudden spikes in load, so the key is building load gradually and monitoring it.
ReviewRead the study
Monitoring Short biceps femoris fascicles and eccentric knee flexor weakness increase the risk of hamstring injury in elite football (soccer): a prospective cohort study Timmins et al. · British Journal of Sports Medicine · 2016
Key takeaway
In 152 elite players, eccentric strength below 337 N on the Nordic test, or short biceps femoris fascicles, was linked to around four times the risk of hamstring injury.
Prospective cohort · NordBordRead the study
Monitoring A systematic review of the relationship between workload and injury risk of professional male soccer players Jiang et al. · Int. J. Environmental Research and Public Health · 2022
Key takeaway
No GPS metric (total distance, high-speed running, accelerations) was conclusively linked to injury. The s-RPE workload ratio may be linked to non-contact injuries, but no safe threshold was found.
Systematic reviewRead the study
Testimonials
What players say
He is a great personal trainer with a wide scope of expertise and a great variety of training. It has been a pleasure to work with him, as he always brings fun and different exercises to every session. He has been a great support in keeping fit while improving my physical condition.
I had the pleasure of working with Joel, and I am immensely grateful to him for my personal growth in all physical aspects. He helped me achieve goals I never thought possible after cruciate ligament surgery. He was crucial in my rehabilitation to return to my best level, and I will always be thankful. Above all, I appreciate his positive attitude and excellent work in everything he did. Always cheerful and willing to help with everything and everyone, he is greatly appreciated.
Working with Joel has been an amazing experience. He is the best physical/mental coach I have ever had. Amazing person, always smiling, and he communicates at all times about how I feel and how to push me to be the best version of myself on the field. This year has been the best year for me in my career. He made me stronger and able to do things at the end of the game as if I had just started.
I was lucky to work with Joel at Cancún FC (Liga de Expansión MX). His energy at every practice was amazing and made even the hardest workouts feel easier. I got better in many ways, including speed, and broke my speed record several times during the season.
I had the privilege of working with Joel for a year, and without a doubt, it was a very rewarding experience. During that time, we didn’t just work together; we also shared many valuable lessons. Joel was a key part of my growth, helping me go beyond my own limits and discover abilities I didn’t know I had. His innovative approach completely changed the way I face challenges and greatly improved my skills.
What a pleasure to work with coach Joel. He is a great motivator, and I gained a lot from his specific training. It’s easy to work with him because he is always smiling and makes me enjoy training hard. I gained a lot of strength in the things I was weak at and also improved my mobility, which helped my performances a lot.
I want to thank you, Joel, for the year we shared and worked together. There was always a willingness to help each other grow mentally, and I really appreciate that. Never lose that attitude. Thank you for bringing out the best in each one of us as players. Today, I can say you were a key part in winning those two championships, which we will always remember with great joy.
I had the opportunity to share and work alongside Joel for a year, and I can say it has been a great pleasure, especially the many lessons I have learned. During this time, he helped me exceed the expectations I had for myself and what I could achieve, using a methodology that was completely new to me and that significantly improved my skills.
I met Joel in Hong Kong, the year we achieved the best results in the history of the club. During the second season, I was able to recover in record time after a serious hamstring injury thanks to his talent and support. I learnt so much from him, and it is safe to say that I would probably not be playing professional football today if it hadn’t been for him.
