How Sevilla FC excels with AI-powered scouting and evaluation

The world of professional sports is no stranger to the use of data and analytics. For years, teams have been using data to track player performance, identify potential recruits and gain a competitive edge.

Yet, simply collecting data isn’t enough — organizations must prepare it for artificial intelligence. This is where IBM Corp. and Sevilla FC are playing a critical role in AI-powered scouting, according to Dr. Elias Zamora Sillero (pictured), chief data officer of Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. (Sevilla FC).

Sevilla FC’s Dr. Elias Zamora Sillero talks with theCUBE about the evolving role of AI in scouting and player evaluation and how IBM is helping Sevilla FC achieve its goals.

“We have been working heavily on generative AI,” he told theCUBE. “Probably the first club, at least one of the first clubs, is not the first in working seriously with artificial intelligence [and] generative AI for talent identification in such a way that we have grown very much in maturity, in sports, technology and in AI,” he said.

Sillero spoke with theCUBE Research’s Dave Vellante and Savannah Peterson at MWC25, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the evolving role of AI in scouting and player evaluation and how IBM is helping Sevilla FC achieve its goals.

AI-powered scouting: Reshaping player evaluation and recruitment

Sevilla FC, a leading European football club, is known for its success in the Europa League and its innovative use of technology in player scouting. The club has integrated AI and generative AI into its recruitment strategy to process large amounts of data efficiently and identify key player traits, according to Sillero.

“We have developed technologies that allow us … to evaluate if the value of a player is more than the actual skills or less than the actual skills is overpriced or down priced,” Sillero said. “The evolution of the price of a player or … the age is playing an important role, or if some of the skills that cannot be measured because age is easy to measure, but other skills like leadership are not so easy to measure, right?”

Sevilla FC’s AI-powered scouring approach provides a competitive edge by streamlining player acquisition and ensuring the club maximizes its investments. By leveraging AI, Sevilla FC can make data-driven decisions that enhance player development and optimize team performance.

“You have, from my point of view, three kinds of data,” Sillero said. “[It is] the quantitative data. How old are you? How many passes [do] you give and how many goals [do] you avoid if you are a goalkeeper.”

IBM and Sevilla FC: A partnership built on people and technology

Sevilla FC’s partnership with IBM has been pivotal in its technological advancements, focusing on innovation and the human element, according to Sillero. IBM’s expertise in AI and data analytics has helped Sevilla FC implement AI-powered scouting solutions for player evaluation, but the real differentiator has been the people behind the technology.

“We are happy with the technology of IBM, but I say that the difference in our case was their people,” Sillero said. “They help us push toward the answer to the question, and then they keep believing in the world that we have together. We have formed a … group of persons from IBM, from Sevilla FC … that we share vision [and] that is at least as important as the technology.”

Beyond the tools and data, IBM’s collaborative approach has been key to Sevilla FC’s success in leveraging AI, according to Sillero. By combining IBM’s technological expertise with the club’s deep understanding of football, the organization has developed innovative solutions that enhance AI-powered scouting and player evaluation.

“When people think about technology, people think about cold blue robots,” Sillero said. “But technology, in many cases, has a human perspective. And the people from IBM approached us because, as I said before, we were becoming quite mature in technology and data in the football ecosystem.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of MWC25:

(* Disclosure: IBM Corp. sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither IBM nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE