The data analysis and study component is becoming increasingly central in top-level football. And in this sense artificial intelligence in football can play a fundamental role.
An example of this is the new solution developed by the German team Bayer Leverkusen and one of the most important companies in the world in the IT sector, IBM. From the collaboration of these two realities a technology was born which, thanks to the automatic image recognition by AImakes all those studies that previously required long and manual analyzes much faster and simpler, allowing you to free up more time and optimize the work of analysts, scouts and decision makerswho can thus dedicate themselves to more targeted and professional workflows.
Football and AI, where are we at?
IBM and professional football
IBM has put its technologies at the service of this project “watsonx.ia Studio”which allows the creation and adaptation of specific AI modelse “watsonx.ai Runtime”which iReliably integrates AI processes into existing workflows. This allows you to analyze all match data faster and more precisely as well as the performances of the players.
The product of these studies and, in general, all the material can then be archived and retrieved on the various IBM cloud services. “This platform – said Hardy Groeger, chief engineer and technical director for IBM data software – promotes a future data-drive for professional footballwhile at the same time making the club’s processes more efficient.”
The analytical capabilities of AI
Being able to take advantage of these solutions guarantees not only that you have optimized data processingsaving time and reducing errors, but also being able to exploit a intelligent recognition of various match eventswithout having to make a manual selection.
Other great advantages are the flexibility and scalability of the service, as it can be extended and adapted depending on the needs of the club. A support that can benefit both the coaching team and those who plan the daily life of a high-level football team.
The goodness of the solution is also confirmed by the managers of the Bayer Leverkusen. Mortiz Laux, head of the Sports technologies area of the German club, said he considers himself and his company as “pioneers in the use of digital solutions to expand the possibilities of professional football”adding that “thanks to IBM, the team’s analytical capabilities increase, and this is why collaborations of this kind are milestones on the path towards a future-oriented digitalisation of football driven by the data of important processes”.
In other clubs, AI helps prevent injuries
In addition to Bayer Leverkusen, there are many top-level clubs that have started to integrate the use of artificial intelligence technologies to improve the performance of their players.
