Considering the large crowds of fans, the heated rivalries and cult status, soccer – you might call it football or short footie – elicits a comparison with religion. Therefore, it is exciting to see that the sport of raw emotions becomes increasingly a game of sober numbers and statistics.
Driven by digitization and new AI-models, soccer clubs across all leagues and associations use a massive variety of data to find the best players on the market, for specialized training and to fine-tune the roster. Hence, more and more, the expertise of coaches and team managers is supported by digital insights, not gut instinct.
Artificial Intelligence is Royal Blue
The data-driven tool “Stats Libuda” of Schalke 04, a team in the second tier of the German soccer league system called the 2. Bundesliga, is a current example for that trend. Named after Reinhard “Stan” Libuda, a famous Schalke player of the 60s and 70s, the scouting tool accumulates data – like willingness to run, pressing style and tackling strength – of over 23.000 players. Based on this foundation, the club decides which player is signed and how the team composition can be improved.
In addition, the club tracks every training session and every move to accumulate specific player-related data. For that, the players are even asked to sign off on a waiver for certain personal rights. With a sound data basis, Schalke 04 expects a strong data-driven perspective on the game, better performance analytics and an adjusted load management. With that, Schalke 04 is so successful that pundits are certain that, after this season, the team will be promoted to 1. Bundesliga, the top tier of the German soccer league system.
Transformation Of Decision Making
From a media and communication perspective this trend was only a matter of time. Back in 2015, the media psychologist Peter Vorderer and colleagues wrote an essay about the mediatized lifestyle. They called it “permanently online, permanently connected”. The premise: Our way of life changes trough raised levels of media saturation ever further. Thereby, approaches of problem-solving, relationships and clout as well as motivation and our sense of ourselves would increasingly dependent on digital media.
A consequence of this, according to Vorderer and colleagues is that big data will replace intuition in the future. Since nowadays there is a “data foundation” for every cause, we think that we can objectify anything. From consumer behavior to stakeholder analysis: The data is reliable and neatly presentable though visualization. In a world like this, the hard facts count and soft factors like “gut feeling” are in a difficult position.
Balancing Data And Human Judgment
In considering the data-driven evolution, I can see pros and cons for both sides. It is obvious that data and statistics can help to describe the world. Too often the perceived truth is ill-informed and pays attention only to a fraction of the facts. For example, through “Stats Libuda” Schalke 04 signed Soufiane El-Faouzi last summer – a player who, while overlooked by many talent scouts, is now an integral part of the team. But I also think we must not outsource the decision-making to big data platforms and AI-tools altogether, believing that this will lead to more robust, empirically founded results. In fact, the systems are based on data created through human interactions. They therefore can re-produce biases and behavioral patterns.
In conclusion, the trend toward digitization offers specific advantages. It can inform our decision and broadening our perspective. But it also needs to be balanced with human judgment and a recognition of the limitations of data. In my mind, the overreliance on quantitative data diminishes the qualitative awareness. Human peculiarities like leadership qualities, psychological resilience or team spirit are often harder to measure but equally vital for success. If we acknowledge that, combining technological tools with experienced judgment can support better decisions while maintaining human individuality.
Thank you for reading. This is a “POV” exploring thoughts, stories and current debates to provide a reflected view and assessment.