SPIELFELD
05/10/2021

Improvement through analysis in a world of numbers

Ihlas Bebou is an ambitious footballer. To improve his performances on the pitch, the TSG player spends many hours in front of his laptop analysing his game. The self-study is paying off for the 26-year-old this season. The Togo-born attacker is playing better than ever - and the statistics prove as much. After suffering bad luck with injuries early in his career, Ihlas Bebo is now finding the back of the net more than ever before.

A good seven years ago, Ihlas Bebou's football career took a decisive turn: the current TSG Hoffenheim pro was 19 years old at the time and played for the Fortuna Düsseldorf U19s in the youth Bundesliga. Far removed from the glamorous life of a well-paid Bundesliga player. He was one of many young talents who dreamed of making the leap into Germany's top tier. But many signs pointed towards it remaining a dream. Back then, the forward was more interested in dreaming than in working to achieve his goals. But then, all of a sudden, he was awoken. "I gave a poor performance in a game back then. My coach, who was actually giving me a lot of encouragement at the time, subbed me off me early on to send a message. He made me aware of the opportunities I actually had. I became very emotional. Somehow something clicked in me. Looking back, it was a very significant moment for me." The experience was a turning point that meant Bebou was able to make the step up to a professional career, leaving behind the majority of youth footballers who only ever end up watching the Bundesliga on TV. Now he's a seasoned pro. After spells at Fortuna Düsseldorf and Hannover 96, he moved to TSG Hoffenheim in 2019. In his second season in the Kraichgau, the 26-year-old is once again going through an important phase of his sporting development. 

The most successful season of his career

With not long to go before the end of the season, one thing is certain: ''This is the best phase of my career. I'm happy that I can regularly hit top form.'' The official Bundesliga statistics support the TSG star's assertion; the 2020/21 season has indeed been the most successful of Ihlas Bebou's career. Never before has the forward posed such a threat in front of goal - nine goals and seven assists in a season are both new personal bests for Bebou, not to mention his three assists in the Europa League and the DFB-Pokal. The Togo-born player feels at home in the world of numbers - he always asks the coaching team to send him the countless statistics that are recorded during Bundesliga games. At home, he spends a lot of time in front of his laptop in a bid to improve his footballing ability: ''I've been doing that for a few years now. I look at how I finished off my actions on the park and what I could have improved on. That's how I try to develop from week to week.''

In 2011, Bebou, who was born in Aledjo Kadara in Togo and grew up in the Rhineland, moved from VfB Hilden to Fortuna Düsseldorf. Having arrived at the second-tier club's youth set-up, the then 17-year-old displayed an increasingly professional attitude. However, the young Bebou soon learnt that no matter how hard you work, things can end up happening that will impose limitations. On the cusp of making the leap up to professional level, the promising young talent was beset by a series of injuries.

In 2013, Bebou suffered the first of what proved to be a long list of injuries. In a friendly match in Switzerland, the U19 player suffered a fractured skull in an aerial clash. The dangerous injury was, in Bebou's words: ''The worst moment of my life.'' However, the fracture healed unusually quickly and Bebou only had to spend two months on the sidelines. Nonetheless, his run of bad luck was only just beginning. Shortly after making his comeback from the skull fracture, Bebou suffered cartilage damage in his knee and had to stop playing for an entire year: ''The knee injury was almost bad enough to end my career. More than anything else it was the uncertainty that got to me back then. However, I think the time I went through back then really made me stronger for the future. If I suffer setbacks, then I always get back up and keep going.'' 

An undisputed starter under Hoeness

Bebou's assuredness in the current season comes from the confidence that coach Sebastian Hoeness has placed in him. The attacker is one of the most used players in TSG Hoffenheim's 31-man squad. Bebou has been named in the starting XI 27 times across all competitions in 2020/21. "I'm very happy to be getting so much playing time at the moment. I'm simply enjoying it at the moment," said the 26-year-old. Although there are six strikers in the TSG Hoffenheim squad, Bebou is the one selected time and again. Not only Hoeness, but also opposing coaches notice the development in TSG's attacking unit. Bebou's name comes up far more often than it did last season when opponents speak to the press: "It's definitely a recognition of my performance over the past few weeks. When other coaches warn their team about me, that's certainly not a bad thing."

There is a good chance that coaches have singled out the TSG man's pace. This season, the Togo international is one of the top ten fastest sprinters in the Bundesliga. Back in 2017, his top speed of 35.35 km/h was the highest recorded in the league. The frontman always looks to use his attributes on the offensive: ''My speed is my weapon, and I try to use it as best I can. The 26-year-old is unbothered by journalists and opposing coaches that have labelled him as just a track and field athlete after poor performances: ''My speed has always been part of my game that stands out. That's why I don't get annoyed by these comparisons. Of course I have other qualities, my technique in particular has improved recently.'' If Bebou continues to work on his personal analysis and keeps plugging away in training to become even better, then the TSG fans have a lot to look forward to. There is no doubt that he's doing all he can to make this a reality. Ihlas Bebou has increased the pressure on himself through his penchant for statistics; if there's one thing he knows for sure, it's that numbers don't lie.

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