Moussa Ezzeddine | VR in Sports Science | Research Excellence Award

Dr. Moussa Ezzeddine | VR in Sports Science | Research Excellence Award 

Universitate Autonoma de Barcelona/Melon Coin | France

Moussa Ezzeddine is an accomplished academic, consultant, and entrepreneur specializing in football finance, sports analytics, economics, and strategic management, with extensive experience across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. As a Lecturer at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), the Johan Cruyff Institute, and Sciences Po, he integrates deep expertise in football business, financial management, and data-driven decision-making to mentor future professionals while shaping modern sports education through curriculum development, research guidance, and innovation-led teaching. His academic work is rooted in his PhD in Economics from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, where his doctoral thesis, “Pricing Football Transfers: Determinants, Inflation, Sustainability, and Market Impact,” examined the complexities of the global transfer market, influencing his continued contributions to football economics. Beyond academia, Moussa serves as Head Consultant at Melon Coin, advising football club owners, sporting directors, agents, and managers by delivering advanced sports analytics, football finance insights, asset pricing—including player contracts and transfer valuations—and business intelligence solutions that drive on- and off-field performance. His long-standing role as Financial Football Advisor to Dreams FC in the Ghana Premier League further reflects his ability to integrate financial strategy, scouting insights, market analysis, and talent management to facilitate successful transfers, optimize operations, and support club development. With a career foundation in senior leadership positions—including Managing Director and General Manager of EZZY Manufacturing Ghana Ltd—he brings strong managerial, organizational, and strategic planning capabilities, complemented by proficiency in data analysis tools such as Stata, Python, Power BI, and Excel. Moussa’s versatility is reinforced by his postgraduate training in football business from the Johan Cruyff Institute, an Executive MBA, and specialized certifications in football tactical analysis and sports marketing. Fluent in English and French and a native Arabic speaker, he leverages multicultural communication skills to build international networks and foster collaborations with football clubs, federations, financial institutions, and top industry figures such as Leonardo, Luis Campos, and Fabrizio Romano through event organization at La Sorbonne. Known for his analytical mindset, leadership, and ability to bridge academic knowledge with real-world football industry practice, Moussa continues to contribute to the evolving sports ecosystem through teaching, consulting, research, and strategic advisory roles that support the modernization, financial sustainability, and competitive advancement of football organizations.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publication

Ezzeddine, M. (2025). Pricing football transfers using video gaming data. Journal of Sports Analytics.

Davar Khodadadi | VR in Sports Science | Best VR Researcher Award

Assist. Prof. Dr. Davar Khodadadi | VR in Sports Science | Best VR Researcher Award 

Islamic Azad University Central Tehran Branch | Iran

Dr. Davar Khodadadi is an exercise physiologist specializing in neuromuscular physiology, with focused expertise in exercise training, aging, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, hemostatic responses, circadian rhythm, and exercise performance. He earned his PhD from Tarbiat Modares University, where he investigated the effects of aerobic training on amyloid-beta clearance and cognitive outcomes in Alzheimer’s disease models, following an MSc on diurnal variations in blood coagulation responses to exercise and a BSc in Physical Education. With over a decade of academic experience, he has served as an instructor and currently works as an Assistant Professor at the Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, teaching subjects such as exercise physiology, applied physiology, sports nutrition, anatomy, and training design. His research contributions include numerous peer-reviewed publications in international and national journals, covering topics such as high-intensity training, hemostasis, neuroplasticity, caffeine ergogenicity, and molecular mechanisms underlying exercise-induced brain adaptations. He has also contributed to research projects on anaerobic training and diving-related hemostatic responses, and is the author of a book on exercise and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Khodadadi is highly skilled in laboratory techniques including stereotaxic surgery, Morris Water Maze testing, animal exercise protocols, brain and muscle dissections, and advanced physiological assessments. Beyond academia, he brings substantial practical experience as a certified judo, bodybuilding, and fitness coach, serving as a judo trainer since 2008 and as Chairman of the Education Committee of the Judo & Kurash Federation of Iran. He is also active as a personal fitness trainer, researcher, and official expert in sports-related affairs. Fluent in Persian and Azeri, with strong English reading and writing skills, he is proficient in SPSS, GraphPad Prism, and Microsoft Office.

Featured Publications

Khodadadi, D., Azimi, F., Eghbal Moghanlou, A., Gursoy, R., Demirli, A., Jalali, P., Behdari, R., & Seyedheydari, M. (2025). Habitual caffeine consumption and training status affect the ergogenicity of acute caffeine intake on exercise performance. Sports Health. Advance online publication.

Khodadadi, D., Gharakhanlou, R., Naghdi, N., Salimi, M., Azimi, M., Shahed, A., & Heysieattalab, S. (2018). Treadmill exercise ameliorates spatial learning and memory deficits through improving the clearance of peripheral and central amyloid-beta levels. Neurochemical Research, 43(8), 1561–1574.

Khodadadi, D., Gharakhanlou, R., Naghdi, N., Salimi, M., Azimi, M., & Shahed, A. (2018). The effect of 4 weeks of exercise preconditioning on soluble amyloid beta level and memory impairment in rats with Alzheimer’s disease induced by Aβ1-42 injection. Razi Journal of Medical Sciences, 24(165), 74–84.