11 May What Teams are Boosting their Performance with Data Analysis?
According to Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A’s baseball team, sport is a business, and a well-run business equates to a healthier team on the field. The success of the Oakland A’s after applying quantitative analysis to players’ statistics in the Moneyball story illustrated the value of using data analytics in sports. In comparison, American sports teams appear to be more advanced in adopting innovation than European sports teams.
If we look around soccer, how many clubs have truly identified the opportunity to embed innovation as a core principle or as part of their strategic roadmap?
People would be shocked if they saw the behind the scenes of Europe in terms of the way these clubs are run, not just from an operational standpoint, but from a sophistication,” says Jordan Gardner, co-owner and managing partner of Denmark’s FC Helsingør as well as an investor in England’s Swansea City and Ireland’s Dundalk FC. “So many decisions on recruitment are still made like, ‘I’m gonna go call my buddy, who’s an agent.’ ”
Few clubs have identified the prospect of innovation as a core principle or part of their strategic roadmap. Data is integrated into the decision-making processes of several football clubs, but the degree to which they use it varies. Wealthy clubs typically have data analysis teams that work alongside match analysts and scouting departments harmoniously, while smaller-budget clubs are taking steps toward using data analysis. Most clubs prefer to keep their methods secretive to maintain a competitive edge. While the first two clubs mentioned take this route, we will share an alternative perspective.
Manchester City
Manchester City FC has adopted a comprehensive approach that utilizes trials with teams on multiple continents, as well as involvement in a global sports tech fund. The club leverages technology both on and off the pitch, intending on expanding its fanbase and winning competitions. While discussing data analytics, Manchester City boasts one of the most sought-after managers worldwide, Pep Guardiola, and a world-class squad. Two years ago, Pep pioneered the idea of employing a set play coach to enhance dead-ball effectiveness, which proved advantageous to City. Jover, the set play coach, played a significant role in aiding Pep to transform set-pieces from a weakness into a strength following his appointment at the Etihad Stadium in 2019.
Pep Guardiola demonstrated his latest innovative step by bringing four astrophysicists onboard his staff. Led by Laurie Shaw, who holds a Ph.D. in computational astrophysics, the team aims to aid the club’s success rate by utilizing advanced analytics and mathematical models developed from optical tracking data. Among the various types of data analyzed, ball-related data such as passes, shots, and turnovers and advanced tools for analyzing defensive stability, optimal formation, pitch control, and off-ball scoring opportunities are some examples.
Liverpool
Liverpool is another leading club in utilizing data analytics. A potential factor contributing to their success is that the club’s sporting director, Michael Edwards, was previously an analyst. The team’s manager, Jürgen Klopp, also embraces the integration of science into high-level decision-making. Ian Graham, the research division’s director, holds a doctorate in theoretical physics and assesses players and sports tendencies through statistical analysis. In 2018, he introduced William Spearman, the author of the winning paper at the 2018 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, as the lead data scientist. Spearman specializes in using tracking data in soccer to identify passing alternatives, open spaces, and scoring opportunities. During his initial year at the club, Spearman revamped his earlier research on pitch control and its extensions. Still, his current role focuses on implementing his work in various domains, including recruitment and pre- and post-match analysis.
FC Barcelona
Another great example is Barcelona, that created its Innovation HUB in 2017 as a part of the club’s strategic plan.
One of the key aspects of Barca Innovation Hub is the fact that they want to open and share their knowledge to help the whole sports industry grow. They do it with three main pillars.
- They develop research and development projects, where they basically invest resources in generating new IPs that at some point can end up being a scientific research paper, but in the long run can also become new products and services.
- They develop innovation projects with start-ups, products or services that are already in the market but that can bring value by improving those solutions in a way that better serve FC Barcelona’s needs but also other market’s needs.
- Knowledge sharing and organization of events (like the annual conference “Sports Tomorrow”) and activities in a way that every professional in the world of sport can learn from FC Barcelona how we do things.
The main areas of knowledge of the hub are sport analytics, sport performance, fan engagement and a methodological area to train coaches.
What about the rest?
For instance, FC Midtjylland scored an average of six goals from set-piece situations per season, on par with the league’s numbers. However, in the 2014-15 season, their first under the prudent management of Benham and Ankersen, the number of goals scored in the same situations soared to 25 – a 400% increase compared to the norm. In subsequent seasons, the Danish wolves carried on exploiting opponents’ weaknesses in set-pieces, employing specific schemes for each match. The consistently-scored 20-plus set-piece goals since 2014 exemplify the success achieved by coach Brian Priske and the tireless efforts of an analytical team to enhance the club’s performance.
The budget required for investing in the intelligent use of data is considerably smaller than the cost of signing established players. Furthermore, utilizing this data can have a much greater impact on performance for clubs with limited budgets.
Conclusion
Innovation will naturally persist in any competitive industry, including professional sports. Groundbreaking ideas that were once dismissed by mainstream media are now commonplace. New teams bring forth novel concepts, and a plethora of innovative approaches to the game emerges, influencing on-field tactics and transforming clubs’ recruitment and future planning processes. Soccer has already experienced a certain level of innovation, and at SportAnalytics, we hold a unique vantage point for accelerating data culture and adoption. We are devoted to understanding our partners’ needs, engaging in discussions with them, and providing solutions to their challenges. We are committed to helping them enhance their on and off-field performance while continuing to push the boundaries of data-driven innovation.