Spanish football club Sevilla FC has partnered with IBM to launch a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool called Scout Advisor that aims to enhance their player recruitment process. Built on IBM’s watsonx platform, Scout Advisor will search and analyse Sevilla’s extensive database of over 200,000 scouting reports to evaluate potential new signings.
By utilising natural language processing and machine learning capabilities, Scout Advisor can understand complex unstructured data within the scouting reports and match player attributes against specified requirements outlined by Sevilla’s talent scouts. It generates a shortlist of recommended player targets, summarising key details from their scouting profiles.
“We are excited to work with IBM as this project can be a game-changer for Sevilla FC and the whole Sports Industry” José María del Nido Carrasco, Sevilla FC’s President. “Our team of scouters and analysts is committed to finding the best players to support our team’s success and have worked tirelessly to build an impressive database of player reports, and now, with the support of IBM, we can utilise this asset to its full potential. This gives us a significant advantage in the player recruitment process and enable us to find the best players for our team and continue to improve our performance on the pitch. We believe that this collaboration will have a positive impact not only for Sevilla FC but for the sports industry as a whole. With this tool, Sevilla FC also demonstrates that technology is not just a goal but an intimate companion on the journey towards the future of our entity; it is part of its DNA”.
This data-driven approach looks to complement Sevilla’s traditional subjective scouting methods which rely heavily on human observation and judgement. Scout Advisor links player recommendations to the club’s suite of proprietary performance data tools to provide further analytical insights.
“We are proud to collaborate with Sevilla FC to use the power of IBM watsonx generative AI to help enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of their player recruitment process” said Ana Paula Assis, Chair and General Manager at IBM EMEA. “With the appropriate guardrails and governance in place, AI continues to be a game-changer for businesses across many industries looking to modernise operations. In this instance, by producing trusted and explainable insights that advance the goals of a competitive football club while transforming the work of a football scout.”
The collaboration with IBM forms part of Sevilla’s wider technology strategy focused on leveraging AI and data analytics to enhance football operations. As a club recognised for its shrewd recruitment and ability to identify rising talent, Scout Advisor offers further competitive edge in streamlining the talent identification process to make quicker and more informed signing decisions.
With the global transfer market now exceeding billions in investment annually, the use of AI and machine learning is seen as an innovative game-changing approach within the football industry. Sevilla believe the integration of Scout Advisor into their current processes serves as a benchmark for other leading clubs looking to modernise player recruitment through technology.
