Patrones de juego en el ataque rápido de F. C. Barcelona, Manchester United y F.C. Internazionale Milano -Un enfoque de Mixed Methods/Patterns of Play in the Fast attack of F. C. Barcelona, Manchester United and F. C. Internazionale Milano- A Mixed Method Approach/Padrões de Jogo no ataque rápido das equipas do F. C. Barcelona, Manchester United e F. C. Internazionale de Milano - Uma abordagem centrada nos Mixed Methods

This study a imed to detect and analyse regular patterns of play in fast attack of football teams, through the combination of the sequential analysis technique and semi-structured inter views to experienced first L eague Portuguese coaches. The sample included 36 games (12 games of the respective national leagues per team) of the F.C. Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Manchester United teams that were coded with the observational instrument tool developed by Sarmento et a l. (2010) and the data analysed through sequential analysis with the software SDIS- GSEQ 5.0. Based on t he detected patterns, semi-structured interviews were carried out to 8 expert high-performance football coaches and data were analysed through the content analysis technique using the software NVivo 10. The detected patterns of play revealed specific characteristics of the teams under study. The combination of the results of sequential analysis with the qualitative interviews to the professional coaches proved to be very fruitful in this game the analysis of scope, allowing reconcile scientific knowledge with practical interpretation of coaches who develop their tasks in the field.