Sevilla sporting director Monchi says the adoption of more data driven aspects of scouting is now inevitable.
Monchi, however, insists there can be a happy marriage between the human element of talent spotting and the data dominated software approach.
At the World Football Summit, he said: “The changes since I started are total. I started as a sports director in 2000. In 2003 we were the only accredited club in a tournament in Punta del Este, where we saw Daniel Alves. Now there would be 200 clubs for the same tournament. That indicates that we have to have different means than back then to discover young talents. Now we have to use all these tools that they are offering us.
“We have an R&D department, attached to the sports management, where everything is agreed upon. I asked Maldini for some videos of matches twenty years ago. Now we have engineers in data, algorithms, physics…
“This is reality, although it may seem surreal. We have to use all of this to make the best possible decisions. The change is brutal. Digitisation is here to stay and those who do not adapt will be left far behind.
“Everything came to me by phone, that’s where I sensed everything about the player. Today we have a lot of information to create a profile through many analyzable tools. From a post on Instagram to some statements after winning, before an important game, of a performance in the field…
“Today there are algorithms to approach drawing a profile. Everything that gives us information to buy a player cannot be discarded.
“Players are also people. A player’s performance also depends a lot on his mind. If you can get as close as possible to his personality, you have one more piece of information to decide on. We have to shorten the luck factor of a signing as much as possible.
“This is a moving train where all the clubs will have their scouting department and their data department, which will go hand in hand for everything. To buy, sell, analyse… that structurally adapts to this rain of data will take an important step to place themselves at the forefront of football.”
