Author: Innovation Center

Posted on by

Start the training revolution at Sevilla FC Academy

La plataforma digital ofrece información detallada sobre los distintos programas de formación: Football Camps, Performance Academy (Academia de tecnificación), Escuela de fútbol Antonio Puerta, Programas de Alto Rendimiento y Goalkeeping Academy (Academia de porteros).

This week, the new official website of Sevilla FC Academy has been launched—a platform designed to showcase all the training programs related to the expansion of the club’s working methodology in the sporting field. With this initiative, Sevilla FC takes another step forward in its commitment to sports and educational development, introducing a new website that becomes the go-to reference for players interested in being part of the club’s unique methodology.

The digital platform provides detailed information about various training programs, including Football Camps, Performance Academy, Escuela de fútbol Antonio Puerta, High-Performance Programs and Goalkeeping Academy.

Sevilla FC Academy aims to expand the club’s methodology by offering opportunities to young talents striving for sporting excellence. With programs tailored to different skill levels and age groups, the academy seeks to foster player growth under the same technical, tactical, and physical principles applied within the Sevilla FC youth system.

The new website will make it easier for players and families to access key information about joining this initiative. From registrations to news and events, the platform positions itself as the official channel to stay updated on all academy developments. This reaffirms the club’s commitment to taking its successful model beyond its borders and inspiring new generations of footballers worldwide.

Posted on by

Taking part in the Employment and Entrepreneurship Fair of the UPO

The Pablo de Olavide University has presented the 9th edition of its Employment and Entrepreneurship Fair, which will be held in person on April 22 and 23, and online on April 24. The event, driven by the UPO (Pablo de Olavide University), aims to connect students with companies and entities from the productive sector. This edition will feature the Sevilla Innovation Center, as part of the program framed within the Sevilla FC Chair: university, business, and sport.

A new feature in this edition is the virtual phase of the Fair, which will be carried out through a new web platform. The Vice-Rector for Students, Employability, and Entrepreneurship, Amapola Povedano Díaz, highlighted this development during the opening ceremony, stating that “we aim for the 9th edition of the Employment and Entrepreneurship Fair to foster interaction between companies, institutions, and the talent generated by the university.”

The Employment and Entrepreneurship Fair will feature various information stands, a business pavilion, job offers, an exhibitor agenda, and a conference schedule. Students, who must register in advance to participate in the different activities, will be able to explore first-hand the job opportunities available after finishing their studies, as well as current labor market demands.

Through a virtual platform, students will be able to register for different meetings with companies, learn about their internship and hiring plans, sign up for in-person talks, submit their resumes to companies, and access the information provided by the various participating companies.

The Innovation Center will be present with an informative and innovative stand offering its training programs.

We look forward to seeing you in person on April 22 and 23 and online on April 24!

Posted on by

Kickoff of the 8th Edition

The 8th edition of one of the most important master’s programs within the extensive educational offering of the Sevilla FC Innovation Center has arrived: the Master’s in Big Data applied to Football Scouting. This high-level course is designed to prepare scouts, analysts, and sports directors, among other key roles in the football industry.

The program provides students with the necessary tools to adapt to all situations within the world’s most popular sport while also diving into the crucial field of Big Data—an essential aspect in the training of future professionals.

Once again, the Sevilla FC Innovation Center opens its doors to aspiring professionals looking to specialize in scouting. This master’s program is ideal for football enthusiasts and offers a great opportunity to become a true expert in talent identification and analysis at a prestigious institution.

In previous editions, students of this program have had the chance to access top-tier internships and significant job opportunities with various football clubs worldwide. You can find all the details about this master’s program through this link.

Posted on by

The winners of the 4th edition of the Blasco Garzón Awards have been chosen

The ‘Sevilla FC Chair: University, Business, and Sport’ at Pablo de Olavide University (UPO) opened the submission period for the 4th edition of the Manuel Blasco Garzón Award on January 29. This award recognizes excellence in the best Bachelor’s and Master’s Final Projects presented by UPO students, including both official degrees and lifelong learning programs.

Through this initiative, Sevilla FC, via its Innovation Center, aims to promote research, academic study, and knowledge transfer across various fields. The list of accepted submissions can be found at this link.

The Manuel Blasco Garzón Award pays tribute to the former Sevilla FC president, under whose leadership the club won two Andalusian Cups, hired its first team doctor, organized its first training camps, and hosted the Spanish Cup final at the Reina Victoria Stadium between FC Barcelona and Arenas Club de Getxo.

Blasco Garzón was also a key figure in Seville’s social and cultural life, serving as president of the Ateneo de Sevilla and promoting educational initiatives to improve cultural access in neighborhoods and combat illiteracy.

Posted on by

Sergio Fernández protagonista en el SDF25

El Sport Data Forum 2025 continúa con una ponencia sobre Dirección deportiva: un modelo integral basado en innovación y sentimiento en la que participaron Sergio Fernández, director deportivo del Club Deportivo Alavés, y Pablo Sanzol, miembro de la secretaría técnica del mismo club. En esta sesión, se abordaron las estrategias clave del Deportivo Alavés en cuanto a la dirección deportiva basada en la innovación, el rendimiento y el sentimiento de pertenencia.

Sergio Fernández explicó el modelo del Deportivo Alavés, estructurado en tres pilares fundamentales: Rendimiento, Innovación y Sentimiento. Destacó cómo, tras su descenso a Segunda División, el club llevó a cabo un análisis profundo de los errores cometidos con el fin de no repetirlos en el futuro. A partir de esta evaluación, definieron su enfoque en nichos de mercado estratégicos para la búsqueda de jugadores.

Una de las claves del modelo del Alavés ha sido focalizar la captación de futbolistas en una franja de edad entre los 20 y 24 años, segmento que ha demostrado ofrecer los mejores resultados de rendimiento para el club. Como muestra de su evolución, Fernández destacó que actualmente cuentan con solo tres jugadores cedidos, en contraste con los nueve que tuvieron en la temporada en que descendieron, lo que refleja una gestión más estable y planificada de la plantilla.

Por su parte, Pablo Sanzol detalló el proceso de trabajo dentro de la secretaría técnica del club, basado en tres fases fundamentales:

En cuanto al ajuste de información, los datos de los distintos proveedores se adaptan a su propio Index Alavés, en una fase inicial totalmente cualitativa. En relación a la valoración de los jugadores, se evalúa en función de unos parámetros específicos establecidos por el club. Para la realización de los informes, se analiza en profundidad el desempeño y la proyección de cada jugador. 

Además, Sanzol subrayó la importancia de conocer los modelos de juego de cada liga para orientar el scouting hacia competiciones que mejor se alineen con la estrategia del Deportivo Alavés.

Durante la mesa redonda, los ponentes compartieron algunas de las ideas más relevantes en su metodología de trabajo La ponencia dejó claro que la innovación y el uso de datos juegan un papel crucial en la planificación deportiva del Deportivo Alavés. La aplicación estratégica de esta información no solo optimiza la toma de decisiones, sino que también permite al club maximizar su competitividad dentro de su contexto deportivo.

Posted on by

El SDF25 y la evolución de las Direcciones Deportivas Data Driven

El Sport Data Forum 2025 aborda la evolución de las Direcciones Deportivas Data Driven

Romeo Jozak (director técnico del Future Falcons), Luis Helguera (director deportivo de la UD Las Palmas) y Eduardo Covelo (exdirector de metodología del RC Celta de Vigo) debatieron sobre la creciente integración de la tecnología y el dato en la toma de decisiones deportivas

La formación de jóvenes promesas es clave en todo plan estratégico dentro de una dirección deportiva. Lo sabe bien Romeo Jozak, director técnico del Future Falcons, quien intervino en el Sport Data Forum 2025 destacando la fuerte inversión que se llevará a cabo en los próximos años para fomentar el desarrollo de jóvenes futbolistas en Arabia Saudí. Subrayó que el país cuenta con un enorme potencial, pero que es fundamental educar a estos jugadores de manera profesional en Europa.

Además, Jozak mencionó la complejidad de gestionar la información en un país tan extenso y cómo están trabajando en la organización de datos para optimizar el rendimiento de los jugadores. En este sentido, enfatizó que existen grandes oportunidades laborales para jóvenes analistas españoles, quienes podrán aportar su conocimiento en el ámbito del análisis de datos y el desarrollo futbolístico.

Uno de los grandes objetivos de Future Falcons es identificar y distribuir talentos en ligas de élite con la meta de contar con 30 jugadores competitivos en la selección nacional en los próximos 10 años.

El equilibrio entre tecnología y experiencia

Eduardo Covelo, exdirector de metodología del RC Celta de Vigo, tomó la palabra en la ponencia para hacer hincapié en la necesidad de interpretar correctamente los datos dentro del contexto deportivo. Destacó que el dato y la tecnología deben ser un complemento y no un reemplazo de la experiencia y la intuición. Para Covelo, el éxito radica en el equilibrio entre estos dos factores, evitando caer en una dependencia absoluta de la analítica.

Asimismo, insistió en que identificar talento se ha vuelto más rápido y eficiente gracias a la tecnología, pero el gran desafío actual es no sólo detectar talento, sino también desarrollarlo. Además, anticipó que con el tiempo, muchos aspectos intangibles del fútbol podrán ser medidos con precisión, lo que abrirá nuevas oportunidades en la gestión deportiva.

Otro de los intervinientes, Luis Helguera (director deportivo de la UD Las Palmas) explicó que en la actualidad ya no existe una dicotomía entre el análisis de datos y la interpretación subjetiva del juego. En su opinión, el gran reto está en encontrar profesionales que sepan manejar los datos pero que, a la vez, comprendan el juego desde dentro.

Por ello, recomendó a los especialistas en datos que amplíen su formación con cursos de entrenador y otras herramientas del fútbol tradicional, de manera que puedan hacer una interpretación más funcional y útil de la información analítica. También resaltó la dificultad de encontrar perfiles híbridos que combinen el uso de la tecnología con el conocimiento profundo del juego, una necesidad creciente en las direcciones deportivas de los clubes.

Los tres expertos coincidieron en varios puntos fundamentales sobre la evolución de las direcciones deportivas basadas en datos, sobre todo a la hora de afirmar que el dato es clave, pero que sin pasión ni contexto pierde su valor real.

Posted on by

El Sport Data Forum 2025: innovación y formación desde el Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán

El Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán ha sido la sede este jueves de la sesión de inauguración del Sports Data Forum 2025, un evento de referencia internacional que destaca por su apuesta en la innovación tecnológica y la formación académica en la industria deportiva. El acto ha contado con la presencia de José María del Nido Carrasco, presidente del Sevilla FC, Miguel Ángel del Barrio, director de programas de Sports Data Campus, José María Cruz Gallardo, responsable de Innovación Deportiva en el Sevilla FC, Lourdes Meroño García, decana de la Facultad de Deporte de la UCAM, y David R. Sáez, CEO de Sports Data Campus.

Durante su intervención, Del Nido Carrasco resaltó el firme compromiso del Sevilla FC con la innovación y la tecnología aplicada al fútbol, destacando herramientas como ‘Ai Football’, ‘Ai Radar’, ‘Ai Scouting’ y ‘Scout Advisor’ y subrayando el papel clave que juegan en la evolución y mejora del análisis deportivo. Además, reafirmó la apuesta del Sevilla FC por la formación de talento en este ámbito.

Compromiso con la tecnología y la formación

Por su parte, Lourdes Meroño enfatizó la relevancia del vínculo entre la universidad y el deporte profesional. La UCAM es la universidad con mayor número de deportistas olímpicos y paralímpicos a nivel mundial. Meroño subrayó la importancia de la colaboración entre las instituciones presentes, alineando la academia, la investigación científica y el análisis de datos con la formación, la investigación y la transferencia de conocimiento en el ámbito deportivo.

La alianza entre el Sevilla FC, el Sports Data Campus y la UCAM fortalece la construcción de una comunidad formativa fue el pilar que más subrayó José María Cruz Gallardo, responsable de Innovación Deportiva Fútbol del Sevilla FC. El club, a través de su Innovation Center, articula numerosas apuestas formativas relacionadas con el análisis de datos, la innovación y el desarrollo tecnológico. Cruz Gallardo, además expresó su gratitud hacia el club y en especial a la figura del presidente por su respaldo continuo a la innovación y la mejora continua dentro del fútbol.

Finalmente, David R. Sáez, CEO de Sports Data Campus, incidió en la relevancia de la formación como eje clave en la transformación del fútbol moderno. El trabajo conjunto entre UCAM, Sevilla FC y Sports Data Campus ha permitido generar un entorno propicio para la profesionalización del análisis de datos en el deporte. Por su parte, Miguel Ángel del Barrio, director de programas de Sports Data Campus, agradeció la confianza de los alumnos y su participación en el foro.

Un evento de referencia en el análisis de datos deportivos

El Sport Data Forum 2025 se perfila como un espacio de referencia en el análisis de datos deportivos, donde la sinergia entre la tecnología, la academia y la industria del fútbol continúa impulsando el crecimiento y la profesionalización del sector. Con un enfoque en la formación y el desarrollo de nuevas herramientas de análisis, este evento refuerza el compromiso del Sevilla FC con la innovación y la excelencia en el ámbito deportivo.

Posted on by

Sevilla FC incorporates BRAINSFIRST BV technology in player development and talent identification

Sevilla FC has signed a two-and-a-half-year agreement with BrainsFirst BV to implement cognitive assessment technology in the development of its young footballers. This collaboration aims to enhance player performance and facilitate the identification of new talents.

With these technological tools, the club will incorporate cognitive skills analysis into the existing evaluation criteria for future professional and elite players, alongside physical, technical, tactical, and mental performance.

BrainsFirst BV, which collaborates with top-tier clubs such as Ajax, Real Sociedad, PSV, Bayer Leverkusen, Nottingham Forest, and Eintracht Frankfurt, provides a diagnostic platform based on neuroscience and gamification. Agustín López Páez, Director of the Youth Academy, highlights that this partnership will be key to training young footballers, as it represents an innovative tool in cognitive control within elite sports and will complement Sevilla FC’s modern and coordinated youth development approach.

A step forward in youth training and development

Antonio Gutiérrez López, Project Manager at Sevilla FC, emphasizes that this new technology will provide a deeper understanding of the players and their potential, making their development more effective. With objective and verifiable data, coaches will be able to make more informed decisions, aligning with the club’s data-driven strategy and strengthening its strategic plan. To achieve this, Sevilla FC will combine its own resources with the expertise of its new partner.

Jens Urlbauer, Business Development Director at BrainsFirst BV, explains the significance of this alliance with Sevilla FC: “We are delighted to collaborate with a club that has a clear vision for player identification and development, and that is integrating innovative tools to achieve even greater success. Sevilla FC aims to support its players in their transition to professional football, emphasizing the importance of data-driven insights in this process.”

Posted on by

The club showcases its advancements in artificial intelligence at the Mobile World Congress in collaboration with IBM

Sevilla FC continues to strengthen its position as a technological leader in sports and was present at one of the industry’s key international events, the Mobile World Congress, which took place in Barcelona during the first week of March.

In collaboration with IBM, Sevilla FC participated in the event’s exhibition area, offering an immersive experience that allowed attendees to explore the use of the Scout Advisor tool. Developed by the club together with IBM and its Generative AI platform, WatsonX, this tool provides player performance reports similar to those generated by the club’s scouts. Congress visitors were able to interact with a foosball table powered by generative AI to create these reports, optimizing the collected information and reducing the time required to consult and access data.

Elías Zamora, the club’s head of data, participated in a roundtable discussion about the transformation of football scouting through Generative AI, where he presented the club’s technological projects to industry-leading companies and specialized media, both national and international.

Sevilla FC’s participation in the Mobile World Congress also served to announce that the club has become the first entity in the world to join the AI Alliance, an organization founded by IBM and Meta, which already has over 150 members from companies and academic institutions. The goal is to promote the ethical and open use of Artificial Intelligence. Additionally, both Scout Advisor and Sevilla FC were featured in a blog post by Meta, highlighting the successful use of its Llama 3 model.

Posted on by

Sevilla FC becomes the first global sports organization to join the AI Alliance

Sevilla Fútbol Club has made history once again by becoming the first sports entity in the world to be invited to join the AI Alliance, a prominent international community that promotes the responsible, ethical, and collaborative development of artificial intelligence (AI), setting global standards for technological innovation. With over 150 member organizations, Sevilla FC positions itself as the first sports entity, solidifying its strong commitment to advancing technology applied to sports.

The AI Alliance was co-founded by IBM and Meta, and includes other major tech players such as Intel, AMD, Oracle, Red Hat, and Sony. Additionally, prestigious universities and academic institutions, such as CERN, EPFL, ETH Zurich, Yale, Cornell, Tokyo, Imperial College London, and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, are part of this initiative.

On a national level, Sevilla FC becomes the fourth Spanish institution to join the AI Alliance, along with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, MLOps Community, and Esade, marking a milestone in the history of sports and technology in Spain. Over the years, Sevilla FC has solidified its leadership in integrating cutting-edge technologies in both sports and business. In sports, the club has developed solutions for player identification and analysis, based on the evaluations of its scouts expressed in natural language.

In the commercial sector, Sevilla FC has incorporated AI into its ticket sales, sponsorship, and Fan 360 tools, with a special focus on attendance prediction solutions, which have optimized the management of the secondary ticket market. Sevilla FC president José María del Nido Carrasco expressed his satisfaction with this recognition: “It is an honor for Sevilla FC to be the first sports entity to join the AI Alliance. We are fully committed to its principles for the safe, ethical, and collaborative development of AI. This recognition from the technology industry and academic institutions reinforces our commitment to applying technological innovation to sports and our various business areas to provide our professionals with the best tools to achieve success both on and off the field.”

By joining the AI Alliance, Sevilla FC adopts the fundamental principles of the community, which include:

  • Global collaboration to advance AI development.
  • Definition and development of AI use cases in the sports industry.
  • Promotion of open-source technology to foster equitable access to AI.

This achievement strengthens Sevilla FC’s commitment to digital transformation and positions it as a key player in the development of a more innovative, ethical, and sustainable sports ecosystem, paving the way for other sports entities to follow its example.

Recently, Meta highlighted the success of Scout Advisor in its blog, a tool based on Generative AI using Meta’s Llama 3 technology and IBM’s WatsonX, showcasing its effectiveness in the sports field.

Posted on by

El Curso de Entrenadores del Sevilla FC avanza con los módulos de técnica y legislación

El Curso de Entrenadores del Sevilla FC continúa su desarrollo con un enfoque práctico y teórico que refuerza la formación de los alumnos. En las últimas semanas, los participantes han completado dos módulos fundamentales en su aprendizaje como son Legislación y Técnica, áreas esenciales para su desarrollo como entrenadores.

Uno de los aspectos más destacados ha sido la metodología de enseñanza aplicada, que combina sesiones teóricas con experiencias prácticas en el campo. Antes de cada clase teórica, los alumnos han tenido la oportunidad de realizar visionados de entrenamientos, guiados directamente por el docente del módulo correspondiente. Esta iniciativa les permite analizar en tiempo real las dinámicas de trabajo y trasladar ese conocimiento a las sesiones en aula.

Durante el mes de febrero, el encargado de impartir el módulo ha sido Javier Martínez, actual segundo entrenador del Sevilla Atlético, primer filial del club. Su experiencia en el fútbol de alto rendimiento ha sido un gran valor añadido para los alumnos, quienes han podido conocer de primera mano las claves del día a día en un equipo profesional que compite en Primera RFEF. 

El programa formativo no se detiene, y la próxima semana los participantes iniciarán un nuevo módulo, que estará dirigido por José Manuel García-Baquero, técnico de cantera del Sevilla FC.

Con este curso, el Sevilla FC refuerza su compromiso con la formación de entrenadores, asegurando que las nuevas generaciones cuenten con los conocimientos y herramientas necesarias para crecer en la industria del fútbol.

Posted on by

A February full of visits and training sessions.

The Innovation Center of Sevilla Fútbol Club continues to establish itself as a benchmark in training and innovation within the football industry. In recent weeks, the club has hosted up to four training programs, strengthening its role as a hub for the development of players, coaches, and sports professionals.

In this context, the Training Facilites José Ramón Cisneros Palacios has welcomed two international clubs as part of its Players Academy program. First, FK Terlicko 2022 from the Czech Republic enjoyed an immersive experience that included high-level training sessions led by club coaches. Additionally, the young footballers had the opportunity to take an exclusive tour of the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium, delving into the history and greatness of Sevilla FC, and attended a Sevilla Atlético match at the Jesús Navas Stadium, experiencing the competition atmosphere firsthand.

On the other hand, Lincoln Red Imps Football Club, the most decorated team in Gibraltar, also took part in the Players Academy program with the goal of strengthening its youth academy’s training methodology. The U8 team from the Gibraltarian club participated in training sessions alongside Sevilla FC’s youth coaches and played a friendly match against Sevilla FC’s U8, fostering both sporting and cultural exchange between the two entities.

Beyond player development, the Innovation Center has also served as a learning platform for professionals in the industry. In this regard, students from the Master’s in Physical Preparation and Rehabilitation in Football at UCAM took part in a series of practical workshops led by Sevilla FC specialists at the Assessment Center, where they gained first-hand experience with advanced methods for performance analysis and optimization. They also had the opportunity to explore both the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium and the state-of-the-art facilities dedicated to the first team at the Ciudad Deportiva.

Finally, the LALIGA Business School training program also found a strategic partner in Sevilla FC for the specialization of its students. On this occasion, students from the Master’s in Sports Management received specialized training from various club professionals, deepening their understanding of key aspects of management and decision-making in elite football.

Through these initiatives, Sevilla Fútbol Club reaffirms its commitment to innovation, education, and talent development, further establishing its Innovation Center as a leading space in the international football landscape.