- Sevilla FC introduce Scout Advisor, an innovative tool built on
IBM's watsonx platform, to enhance player recruitment process.
- "Scout Advisor" is designed to unlock the full potential
of Sevilla FC extensive players database to create new
competitive advantages.
- watsonx enables Sevilla FC to bridge the gap between
traditional human-centric and data-driven scouting in the
identification and characterization of potential recruits.
MADRID, Jan. 23,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Sevilla FC
today introduced Scout Advisor, an innovative generative AI
tool that Sevilla FC will use to provide their scouting team with a
comprehensive, data-driven identification and evaluation of
potential recruits. Built on watsonx, IBM's AI and data platform
designed for enterprises, Sevilla FC's Scout Advisor will integrate
with their existing suite of self-developed data-intensive
applications.
Sevilla FC's data department worked with IBM Client Engineering
Team to build Scout Advisor, leveraging watsonx's natural language
processing and foundation models to search and analyze massive
amounts of information present in the club's existing databases to
evaluate potential recruits. This includes both quantitative data
such as height and weight, speed, number of goals or minutes
played, and qualitative unstructured data such as the textual
analysis contained in their more than 200,000 scouting reports.
The solution's natural language processing capabilities have
enabled Sevilla FC to use multiple large language models (LLMs) to
help enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of their player
identification. Using language prompts from Sevilla FC scouters
that describe the key characteristics of the players searched,
Scout Advisor generates curated lists of candidates based on stated
requirements and summarizes the full set of scouting reports for
each individual player. Additionally, Scout Advisor links every
player to the Sevilla FC's own data-applications to obtain deep
insights about their quantitative performance figures.
Player scouting and recruiting decisions at elite sports teams,
especially in football industry, involve multi-million-dollar
investments, long term contracts and high levels of uncertainty on
performance and ROI. Traditionally, player recruitment has relied
on a combination of subjective human observation and manual data
analysis. However, this approach has several limitations, as it is
both time consuming and considers only a limited number of
factors.
Already widely recognized for its massive database of
quantitative player evaluations, the Sevilla FC scouting team has
attracted the global attention for its successful track record of
identifying rising football stars. In addition, Sevilla FC is a
pioneer in the development of its own data-intensive applications
targeted to characterize players based on a wide spectrum of
quantitative figures. Now, Scout Advisor offers Sevilla FC further
competitive advantage — combining their existing capabilities with
the use of generative AI to bridge the gap between metrics-based
scouting and human-centric observations that cannot be as easily
measured on the pitch. This automated approach is designed to
further enhance their player identification process, to help them
to make more efficient and informed recruitment decisions.
IBM watsonx capabilities allow Scout Advisor to unlock the full
potential of Sevilla FC's extensive players reports database making
possible to search for players using natural language and retrieve
potential recruits based on their key quantitative indicators and
the detailed opinion that scouting experts have about them. This
provides Sevilla FC with potential competitive advantages, in terms
of being able to make better-informed recruitment decisions with
technology empowered insights.
"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 utilize 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."
"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
modernize 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 between IBM and Sevilla FC is part of the
club's wider business and technology strategy, which aims to
leverage the power of data and AI to enhance their football
operations. By integrating the watsonx-based solution into their
existing data architecture, Sevilla FC aims to increase the ROI on
existing resources with faster, more efficient, and better-informed
recruitment decisions.
About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and
consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries
capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business
processes, reduce costs, and gain the competitive edge in their
industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in
critical infrastructure areas such as financial services,
telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud
platform and Red Hat OpenShift to effect their digital
transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM's
breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing,
industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and
flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's
long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility,
inclusivity, and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more
information.
About Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC is one of the most important clubs in Spain and Europe. Celebrating its 134th
anniversary this January, the club has masterfully
blended history and modernity. Notably, the
21st century has seen a sporting explosion for the
club. After initial years filled with regional and national glory,
in the past 18 years, Sevilla FC has achieved significant
international success, securing a total of 8 European titles,
including seven UEFA Europa Leagues and one UEFA Super Cup.
Additionally, the club has become a regular participant in the UEFA
Champions League. Beyond its sporting achievements, Sevilla FC is
referenced as a pioneer in leveraging technology for player
scouting and various other sectors within the organization.
Media Contacts:
Sevilla FC: Álvaro Ramírez Pérez.
(a.ramirezperez@sevillafc.com)
IBM: Miguel Giménez de Castro (miguel.gimenezdc@IBM.com)
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SOURCE IBM