In the football industry, player scouting and recruitment decisions involve multi-million dollar investments, long-term contracts, and high uncertainty about performance and return on investment (ROI). It has been reported that a generative AI scouting method based on data and AI has been introduced into the field, breaking away from the traditional scouting method that combines subjective human observation and manual data analysis.

IBM and Sevilla FC announced today the implementation of Scout Advisor, a generative artificial intelligence (AI) solution, to enable the scouting team to identify and evaluate recruits in a comprehensive, data-driven manner.

Built on IBM's enterprise AI and data platform, Watsonx, Sevilla FC's Scout Advisor will be integrated with Sevilla FC's existing suite of data-intensive applications developed in-house.

Sevilla FC's data department, in collaboration with IBM's client engineering team, leveraged Watson X's natural language processing technology and Foundation models to build a Scout Advisor that can search and analyze vast amounts of information from the club's existing database to evaluate potential new players.

This includes both quantitative data such as height, weight, speed, goals and minutes played, as well as qualitative unstructured data such as text analysis of over 200,000 scouting reports.

The solution's natural language processing capabilities will allow Sevilla FC to use multiple large language models (LLMs), improving accuracy and efficiency in player identification.

When a Sevilla FC scout uses natural language prompts to describe key characteristics of a desired player, the Scout Advisor generates a list of candidates tailored to the stated requirements and provides a summarized scouting report on each player.

Additionally, all players will be connected to Sevilla FC's own data application, providing in-depth insights into their quantitative performance figures.
Sevilla FC is a pioneer in developing its own data-intensive application to understand player characteristics based on various quantitative metrics. Scout Advisor combines existing capabilities with generative AI to bridge the gap between in-game metrics-based scouting and human-driven observation, which are difficult to measure during a match, and is expected to further enhance Sevilla FC's competitive edge.

“We are delighted to be working with IBM on this project as it could be a game changer for Sevilla FC and the entire sports industry,” said José María del Nido Carrasco, President of Sevilla FC. “Our scouts and analysts are dedicated to finding the best players to support the team’s success and have worked tirelessly to build an impressive database of player reports.”

He continued, “We believe this collaboration will have a positive impact not only for Sevilla FC but also for the entire sports industry. Furthermore, through this tool, Sevilla FC has shown that technology is not just a goal, but a close companion on the journey towards the future and part of the club’s DNA.”

“With the right safeguards and governance in place, AI can be a game-changer for businesses across many industries looking to modernize their operations,” said Ana Paula Assis, General Manager, IBM EMEA. “In this case, we are transforming the job of a football scout while providing trusted, explainable insights that can help competitive football clubs achieve their goals.”