Evaluation, please: number of intensive runs, maximum speed, success rate in the dribbling
Like treasure hunts on the hunt for the next raw diamond, football scouts once flew around half the globe. In dusty stadiums on the edge of Buenos Aires or on rickety stands in Brazilian hinterland, they tracked down suitable talents for their own club. This romantic idea no longer fits modern reality.
Instead of relying on gut feeling and notepad in the transfer window from July, the clubs rely primarily on data. Paul Pajduch spends at least half of his working day on the laptop, the other on the cell phone. “To inquire about the players who could match our game idea. We have several providers who provide extensive information at thousands of players, «reports the head of the Hoffenheimer Scoutindivt der dpa. This also includes physical information such as the number of intensive runs, the maximum speed or the success rate in dribbling or duels. »We bundle this information in our own analysis tool. With the help of AI, we can identify talents in such a way that match our game philosophy, «explains Pajduch.
A player that Hoffenheim also signed thanks to AI-based data analysis is Bazoumerana Touré. The offensive player has been with TSG since the winter and came on three goals in 13 games. “We already had Touré on the screen before, but the result of the data analysis confirmed our feeling again,” says Pajduch.
Whether an accomplished playmaker from the second French league or a high-running full-back from Chile: “AI-supported programs open up performance data, analyze movement profiles and forecast development potential-and that in a fraction of seconds,” says sports scientist Daniel Memmert from the German Sports University. An example: FC Liverpool is looking for a midfielder who is strong in the pressing and delivers many assists. After entering these performance indicators, the system spits out suitable players who can now be observed in the stadium. That saves time.
What everyone agrees: AI does not take the work on the scouts, but supports them. “By making a first pre -selection. This makes the work of the squad planner more efficient, «explains Memmert. In addition, specialists are needed who set the decisive parameters and programmed the systems.
The football quality of a player is only one aspect. His personality profile must also fit. After all, the chemistry in the cabin is decisive for success on the pitch. You also know that in second division club 1. FC Nürnberg. “We are cooperating with a Norwegian institute that can provide us with data -based personality profiles of players,” says sports director Joti Chatzialexiou. Among other things, content from social media appearances or interviews would be analyzed.
There are many providers. With the help of the Cuju app, talents can film themselves in exercises worldwide. The AI releases a rating and finally creates a ranking list. 80,000 talents took part in the pilot project in Brazil. A example of success: 14 -year -old Marcela Geremias was discovered and received a youth academy contract with the Club Corinthians São Paulo.
Another platform is scoutastic. The provider combines reports from clubs with player data from transfermarkt.de and analyzes them with the help of AI. “This enables the clubs to link objective data such as the position, market value or contract term with insights from text -based scouting reports and thus to filter all of the approximately 1.3 million players listed on the transfer market based on the club’s own criteria,” said a spokesman for the dpa with.
How much does AI devour football? The Norwegian club Ham-Kam shows what is possible. In a friendly game, the club used a coach that was completely controlled by AI. “The Artificial One” made decisions on tactics, listing and replacement, based on millions of data records. So will there be a robot on the sidelines soon? “No,” says Memmert. In addition, the AI lacked tons of data that made a footballer, such as body language. “But we are already moving to get a kind of race cockpit as in Formula 1 on the coaching benches in order to be able to make simulations during the game. For example, coaching teams can then ask the AI what happens if we play players X for player Y. «
