In the world of football scouting, language like “hit the post” and “direct free kick outside the 18” are essential for evaluating players. Sevilla Fútbol Club in Spain has embraced innovation with Scout Advisor, a tool built on IBM’s watsonx™ platform that uses natural language processing (NLP) to analyze player data.
Scouts at Sevilla FC have the daily task of watching practices, interacting with players’ families, and compiling reports. These reports play a crucial role in the recruitment process, as highlighted by Víctor Orta, the club’s sporting director, who emphasizes the importance of combining data analytics with human observation.
Sevilla FC faced challenges with the overwhelming amount of scouting reports they had to process. While quantitative data on players was readily accessible, extracting qualitative information was a time-consuming task. To streamline their scouting process, the club turned to IBM for assistance.
The partnership between Sevilla FC and IBM led to the development of Scout Advisor, a tool that utilizes generative AI technology to analyze scouting reports and provide valuable insights. By leveraging semantic language for search queries, Scout Advisor can deliver curated lists of players that match specific criteria.
The pilot program for Scout Advisor was launched in January 2024, with the club planning to use the tool for their summer recruitment season. The feedback on Scout Advisor has been positive, with the tool revolutionizing player recruitment by enhancing the value of scouting reports.
With Scout Advisor’s NLP technology, Sevilla FC scouts can now focus on human tasks such as building relationships with recruits and making data-driven decisions. The technology has the potential to transform recruitment processes in other sports and functions, highlighting its effectiveness in the football industry.
Elías Zamora, Sevilla FC’s data director, praises Scout Advisor as a revolutionary technology in football recruitment. The collaboration between Sevilla FC and IBM demonstrates the power of combining human expertise with advanced technology to make better decisions in player recruitment.
Overall, Scout Advisor has enabled Sevilla FC to optimize their scouting process, saving time and improving the quality of player evaluations. The success of the partnership between Sevilla FC and IBM showcases the impact of innovative technology in the world of football scouting.
Article Source
https://www.ibm.com/blog/watsonx-scout-advisor-fc-sevilla/
