Manuel López Segovia, PhD, is a Spanish sport scientist, performance coach, and coach educator recognised for combining academic expertise with long-term applied work in football. His pathway is anchored in high-performance education and federation delivery, alongside practical coaching and performance roles in professional environments.
Manuel’s academic background includes study at INEF Madrid in Sport Sciences with a focus on high-performance sport, and a PhD in Sport Sciences from Universidad Pablo de Olavide. He has also held multiple university teaching roles, including work at the Universidad de Murcia (as substitute lecturer and currently associate professor) and as a university professor at Universidad Isabel I, strengthening his profile as a practitioner-academic.
A key part of his career has been long-standing work with the Murcia Football Federation, where he has contributed for over a decade across education and applied performance. His roles include Professor within fitness training and sports physiology departments, Research Manager, and former Fitness Coach for Murcia regional selections. Since January 2020, he has also served as an Instructor with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), supporting coach education and the development of training standards.
In professional football, Manuel has held senior applied roles including Assistant Coach at Cádiz CF (2021–2022) and Assistant Coach at UCAM B CF (2022–2023), as well as earlier work as a fitness coach at FC Cartagena and Hércules CF. He also gained international experience in Morocco with Chabab Rif Al Hoceima, working as both assistant coach and later assistant team manager. More recently, he has been active as Head of Performance & Sports Science (freelance) and as a Sport Scientist with Ubiko Sports, where he has also led software and technology development—reflecting an applied interest in integrating performance practice with modern tools and data systems.
Manuel is also a former ISSPF Professor (2020–2022), contributing to online coach education through his expertise in performance coaching, sport science, and the practical application of high-performance principles.
