Author: Innovation Center

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The Sevilla FC Innovation Center sponsors two entrepreneurship competitions at the UPO

The Sevilla FC Innovation Center will participate in two entrepreneurship competitions organized by the Pablo de Olavide University (UPO), through its Vice-Rectorate for Institutional Relations and Foundations. The first one is called ‘UPOemprende,’ which is already in its sixteenth edition and is part of the university’s Entrepreneurship Program. This competition is particularly aimed at individuals with a business idea or entrepreneurial project, as well as those who already have a company established based on knowledge acquired during their university studies or research results developed at the university as personnel. Among the prizes planned, there is one sponsored by the Sevilla FC Chair, which will award 900 euros to a company established within UPO. The necessary information can be found at this link.

Additionally, UPO also organizes the ‘III Hackathon UPOemprende,’ an event scheduled for April 25th, which also benefits from the collaboration of the Sevilla FC Foundation, in addition to the sponsorship of the SFC Chair: University, Business, and Sports. The chair will contribute a prize of 500 euros to be divided equally among the members of the winning team. The ‘III Hackathon UPOemprende’ aims to launch a challenge related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the university community, seeking solutions to it. The purpose is to raise awareness among the university community about the SDGs and promote and support creativity and the generation of solutions to the planet’s main problems through collaborative work.

This event is aimed at university students from any degree program, from any university or higher education institution in the province of Seville, enrolled in the academic year 2023/24. The deadline for submitting applications to participate in the III Hackathon UPOemprende has already begun and ends on April 23rd at 23:59.

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Sevilla FC has surpassed the milestone of 20 million followers on social media platforms

We continue to break records on social media. The club’s official accounts have just reached the figure of 20 million followers across all platforms.

The numbers consolidate Sevilla as the fourth most popular club in Spain after Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid. Furthermore we are now the 24th most followed club in Europe, having doubled our total number of followers in the last year.

Our growth on digital platforms is the result of a firm commitment to use them as a means of communication with our most loyal fans, but also to expand our fan base to all corners of the world, with a clear and defined strategy for each of them.

In recent months, the accounts that have grown the most are TikTok and Instagram, while new platforms such as Threads, WhatsApp or Twitch have also been embraced. However, at no time do we forget our closest followers with our commitment to programmes such as La Bombonera and El Partido, and new formats such as El Cubo, Triple V or El Santuario.

Meanwhile, one of the key factors in the club’s growth on social media has been the commitment to the internationalisation of the club’s brand with this type of digital platform as one of its fundamental vehicles. The number of followers outside Spain has grown by 80 per cent. 

One of the keys to expansion beyond our borders has been the generation of local content that creates a greater affinity with fans in other parts of the world. We produces content in six different languages: Spanish, English, Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese and Japanese. In addition, content has been created with local agencies and influencers, as well as a wide range of content with live specials featuring players.

The visit to the United States and Mexico during pre-season in 2023 had a major impact locally and served to increase our north American fanbase thanks to various activations with our players and local fans.

Within the overall growth, some of the most notable markets are the Arabian market with an annual increase of 383 per cent. Also, the market that has grown the most is India, with an increase of 1126 per cent in a country where football is flourishing and where the club has a strategic agreement with local club FC Bengaluru United. The club also produced the ‘Never Surrender’ video series.

Likewise, in China in 2023, we were the fastest-growing European club with an increase of 83 per cent and with a well-defined strategy to reach local fans on the country’s specific social networks: Weibo, Douyin and Wechat.

Finally, in January 2024, the club launched its new Portuguese language accounts with the aim of strengthening the already existing link with Portuguese-speaking countries and, in particular, with Brazil, where the club already has a large community of supporters and high-profile ambassadors with various players from the country who became club legends.

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Countdown to the start of the Master’s in Applied Big Data for Football Scouting

The Master’s in Applied Big Data for Football Scouting is one of the flagship offerings of the entire educational range provided by the Sevilla FC Innovation Center. Co-organized with the Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM) and the Sports Data Campus, this master’s program still has available slots for anyone interested in enrolling, being one of the most reputable programs in the field of football data analysis.

It is a course taught in Spanish and in an online format, allowing students to enhance their professional training in this field. It will commence in the third week of March with an inaugural session, and registration can be accessed through this link.

So far, more than 400 students have completed this master’s program, which equips the scouts of the future with digital tools to optimize their work processes. The master’s program has been designed to provide students with the necessary knowledge to play a prominent role in ‘Data-Driven’ sports management. The training aims to update and improve the professional profile of scouts, sports directors, coaches, and analysts, ensuring that they are prepared to tackle the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities presented by the digital era in the sports industry.

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Sevilla FC welcomes Fernando Valera, coach of Bengaluru United

The partnership between Sevilla FC and Bengaluru United continues to thrive following an agreement signed between the two clubs in 2021. Last week, the Indian club’s coach, Fernando Varela, visited the city to learn about the structure and philosophy at Sevilla Fútbol Club, in accordance with the agreement signed three years ago by both clubs. 

Varela, an Argentine coach with extensive experience in Indian football, held several meetings to learn about the club’s sporting approach, from the first team to the youth academy. Accompanied by the club’s head of Research and Development, José María Cruz Gallardo, and his team, the Bengaluru United coach received in-depth and specialist training during his visit. 

In addition, Varela was invited to attend various training sessions of the men’s and women’s first teams, where he was able to exchange thoughts with head coaches Quique Sánchez Flores and Cristian Toro, as well as with the captains, Jesús Navas and Sergio Ramos, and the director of women’s football, Amparo Gutiérrez. He also had the opportunity to learn about the work of the youth teams, enjoying a meeting with Jesús Galván, head coach of Sevilla Atlético. 

Varela was very satisfied with what he viewed as a fruitful exchange of knowledge during this visit: “Many things have influenced me as a coach. I pay a lot of attention to the personality of people, that’s what makes the difference when it comes to the evolution of a club. It’s not just a badge on a shirt, it’s the people behind the club who allow progress to take place. I’m very grateful to have been able to attend the first team training sessions and meet everyone. They’ve treated me very well. Conversations with Quique Sánchez Flores and players like Sergio Ramos and Marcos Acuña were fascinating.”

The Bengaluru United coach also took the opportunity to explain a little more about his club: “Five years ago we embarked on our mission to try to reach the Super League. We are at the top of the table and we are firmly focused on that goal. For us, this partnership shows a commitment to transmit what Sevilla Fútbol Club means worldwide.”

For his part, Varela also highlighted the reputation of Sevilla FC in India, a key strategic market in the club’s process of international expansion.

“It’s been a couple of seasons since the creation of this relationship between Bengaluru and Sevilla. For us it demonstrates what Sevilla means worldwide. It helps us have a stronger identity and a reference-point for Indian football. The reputation of Sevilla FC extends beyond this partnership with Bengaluru, it is known all over the world. Having relationships with international clubs is very important. English teams like Tottenham Hotspur have also come to India and it is positive that clubs like Sevilla want to be part of what we’re doing here.”

In fact, Varela emphasised that football in India is experiencing exponential growth: “There is an evolution going on. There is a long-term objective and the vision is to try to qualify for the 2047 World Cup. They are promoting football through the national team but have a long way to go to reach the level of cricket as, along with Australia, they are the strongest country in the world in that sport. New rules are being brought in to increase the number of teams in the Super League and develop Indian football.”

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The III Blasco Garzón Awards were presented at Pablo de Olavide University

This Thursday, the award ceremony for the Blasco Garzón Awards, now in their third edition, was held in the press room of Pablo de Olavide University (UPO). These awards are part of the ‘Sevilla FC Chair: University, Business, and Sports’ established by the club at UPO. Through its Innovation Center, Sevilla FC recognizes the excellence of the best Bachelor’s and Master’s thesis presented by students enrolled at UPO, both in official programs and in continuing education. With this initiative, the club aims to promote study, initiate research, and transfer knowledge in various fields, in line with the primary objectives of its Innovation Center.

In this third edition, the winners were Pablo Quintana Sarti (Best Master’s Thesis in Business Category), Carmen Serrano Cañadillas (Best Master’s Thesis in Sports Category), Ana Marín Vázquez (Best Bachelor’s Thesis in Business Category), and María Cabello Fernández (Best Bachelor’s Thesis in Sports Category). Additionally, the Chair’s Council awarded an honorable mention to student Ane Fradua Ruiz de Azua.

Apart from Pablo Blanco, the event was attended by Laura López de la Cruz, Vice-Rector for Institutional Relations and Foundations, and Executive Vice-President of UPO Foundations, and Javier Gálvez González, Director of the Sevilla FC Chair. The Manuel Blasco Garzón Award pays tribute to the memory of the former president of Sevilla FC, under whose leadership the club achieved significant sporting success and notable social and institutional advancements. Not to forget, he was the one who welcomed a young man destined to write the best pages of the club’s history into his board: Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. Furthermore, Blasco Garzón was a ubiquitous figure in Seville’s social and cultural life of the time, serving, among other roles, as president of the Ateneo de Sevilla and promoting projects aimed at raising the cultural level in neighborhoods and contributing to citizens’ education, thereby aiding the fight against illiteracy.

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Infografías galardonadas en la `Categoría Empresa` y `Accésit´ en la III Edición de los Premios Blasco Garzón

Unos galardones encuadrados dentro de la ‘Cátedra Sevilla FC: Universidad, Empresa y Deporte’ que el club creó en la UPO. El Sevilla FC, a través de su Innovation Center, reconoce mediante estos premios la excelencia de los mejores trabajos Fin de Grado y Fin de Máster que presentan los distintos alumnos matriculados en la UPO, tanto en títulos oficiales como en formación permanente. Con esta iniciativa, el club pretende fomentar el estudio, la iniciación a la investigación y la transferencia de conocimiento en distintos campos del saber, cumpliendo con los objetivos primordiales de su Innovation Center.

Como novedad en esta edición, los finalista han tenido que generar una infografía del trabajo presentado:

Infografía TFM – Categoría Empresa

Spike-Timing-Dependent LTD en la Sinapsis C4-C2/3 de Corteza Somatosensorial de ratón – Pablo Quintana Sarti

Infografía TFG– Categoría Empresa

Emprendimiento antes de los 30. Casos de éxito – Ana Marín Vázquez

Infografía TFG– Categoría Empresa

El Remo. El modo de supervivencia de nuestros ancestros convertida en deporte –Ane Fradua Ruiz de Azua

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Últimos días de inscripción para el Máster en Innovación y Tecnología en Entidades Deportivas

El Innovation Center del Sevilla FC, en coordinación con el Sports Data Campus y la Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM), ultima los detalles para la puesta de largo del último de los cursos que ha incorporado a su programa formativo, el Máster en Innovación y Tecnología en Entidades Deportivas. Un curso que pone a disposición no sólo de los profesionales del fútbol, sino de cualquier perfil del mundo de la tecnología o del deporte que quiera adentrarse en los procesos de transformación de entidades deportivas basados en la innovación y la tecnología.

El máster dará comienzo el próximo 19 de marzo, por lo que la inscripción sigue abierta en estos momentos. Se trata de un curso diferente a todos los ofertados hasta la fecha y que permitirá a los alumnos adquirir los conocimientos más vanguardistas sobre la materia, además de ofrecer un contenido práctico debido a la infraestructura propia del Sevilla FC. “En el club entendemos la tecnología como un habilitador que permite mejorar y optimizar nuestros procesos. La tecnología abraza a toda la entidad, desde la parcela deportiva al resto de áreas. Se trata de una interacción entre la tecnología y los procesos de trabajo que nos ayuda a optimizar resultados”, explica Juan Esteban Gómez, responsable de Digitalización y Mejora Continua del Sevilla FC y que forma parte de la dirección académica de este máster. Toda persona interesada puede obtener más información en este enlace y proceder a su matriculación en este otro.

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Last few days to register for the Master’s in Innovation and Technology in Sports Entities

The Sevilla FC Innovation Center, in coordination with the Sports Data Campus and the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), is finalizing the details for the launch of the latest course incorporated into its training program, the Master’s in Innovation and Technology in Sports Entities. This course is open not only to football professionals but to any individual with a background in technology or sports who wishes to delve into the transformation processes of sports entities based on innovation and technology.

The master’s program will commence on March 19th, so registration is still open at this time. This course stands out from all the offerings to date and will allow students to acquire the most cutting-edge knowledge on the subject, as well as providing practical content due to the infrastructure provided by Sevilla FC. “At the club, we see technology as an enabler that allows us to improve and optimize our processes. Technology encompasses the entire entity, from the sporting field to other areas. It’s an interaction between technology and work processes that helps us optimize results,” explains Juan Esteban Gómez, Digitalization and Continuous Improvement Manager at Sevilla FC and part of the academic direction of this master’s program.

Anyone interested can obtain more information at this link and proceed with their enrollment at this other.

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Sevilla FC strengthens its ties with Saudi football

We were able to experience the nature of football in Saudi Arabia first hand by visiting the country during the LALIGA FC Futures tournament last week. Held at the Mahd Academy, our Under-14s A Team performed brilliantly, finishing runners-up.

The visit was used to create strategic relationships with football clubs and institutions in the country. The club took full advantage of the LALIGA FC Futures tournament being held in the country to organise meetings with local clubs and institutions.

In addition, in line with our educational philosophy, our representatives were able to present our Innovation Center projects to Dr. Yahya Alsharif from the King Saud University. With the possibility of holding joint studies in mind, the differences between young players’ development in Saudi Arabia and Spain were discussed and evaluated.

We previously visited Saudi Arabia back in December 2023 to take part in the World Football Summit. On that occasion, Jesús Arroyo, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, and Elías Zamora, Chief Data Officer, travelled to Jeddah to represent the club. They spoke about our successes with technological innovation and discussed the Innovation Center’s goal to share our knowledge and experience to educate clubs and institutions around the world. 

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Elías Zamora showedcased the Sevilla FC´s tecnology innovation at the Mobile World Congress

We continue to lead the way as pioneers in the industry, committed to using data, AI and technological innovation as part of our operations, on both the sporting and business sides. In an event supported by IBM and the Financial Times, Zamora discussed the club’s ongoing technology projects.

He participated in two presentations at the event; the first was titled ‘How are mobile phones and AI changing the sporting industry?’ It was hosted by Financial Times journalist Javier Espinoza while Kevin Farrar, Head of Sports Partnerships UK at IBM, was also involved..

As part of the ‘How is AI changing tactical decision making?’ presentation, Zamora addressed industry leaders and managers of big technology and sports companies, discussing the decision-making tools that have been developed and implemented at the club. Special focus was given to Scout Advisor, which was developed alongside IBM, using their Watsonx generative AI system.

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International leaders in pitch maintenance and sustainability

One of the club’s many areas of expertise is pitch maintenance, where Sevilla FC have an international example for several decades thanks to an innovative approach. Carlos Venegas, the club’s head groundsman, has been central to this success and recently added four new members to prominent roles in the organisation of pitch sustainability events. 

Last October, Venegas was invited by the Bulgarian Golf Greenkeepers Association (BGGA) to its annual congress, held in Sofia, where he presented the club’s strategy, centred on maximising water resources and moving away from the use of pesticides. As a club, we are involved in various research programs with the University of Sevilla which promote the use of environmentally-friendly biological products, an issue that Carlos Venegas also spoke about at a major event held in Paris in November, the ’24h du Garzon Sport Pro,’ where he was joined by representatives from Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.

Similar issues were also addressed at the end of 2023 at the Annual Congress of the Spanish Greenkeepers Association, held in Jerez de la Frontera. At this event, Sevilla FC again played a leading role in discussions on pitch maintenance and sustainability. The club has recieved international recognition for years thanks to the implementation of a strategy based on the use of two types of plants, one for summer and one for winter, a key decision given the intensity of the climate in Sevilla. Moreover, in recent years, the club has stood out for the use of a type of a new grass type that reduces water consumption by more than 30%, a crucial factor due to the perpetual threat of drought in the region. 

At the start of 2024, Carlos Venegas was once again asked by the Sports Fields Manager Association to participate in the ‘Congreso Americano de Superficies de Céspedes’ in Daytona Beach, Florida. The event discussed the latest turfs being used and new techniques in maintenance, machinery and digitalisation of sports fields. One of the main seminars talked about designing pitches and drainage systems capable of hosting future World Cup matches. Also, Venegas had the opportunity to visit the state-of-the-art facilities at Inter Miami, sharing experience and knowledge.

Finally, Vanegas went to Milan in February to speak at the MYPLANT & GARDEN event. The club’s maintenance programme is being looked at by clubs all over Europe as the perfect example of how to treat the pitch in hot conditions, with high temperatures becoming more common across the world.

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Sevilla FC strengthens its relationship with institutions and the world of football in Morocco

Sevilla Football Club continues to strengthen its ties with Morocco. The first vice president, José Castro, has visited the country this week, taking advantage of the participation of one of our youth teams in the AMF Tournament Sub-19 organized by the Mohammed VI Football Academy. The club has sought to delve deeper into the local football scene, which in recent years has forged strong emotional ties due to the sporting successes achieved at our club by players like Youssef En-Nesyri, Yassine Bono, and Munir El-Haddadi.

The visit has served to consolidate the relationship with this neighboring country through a meeting with the president of Union Sportive Yacoub El Mansour, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid. The vice president also held a meeting with his counterpart from Sporting Club Casablanca, Amine Benjelloun, the recent runner-up of the CAF Women’s Champions League, and discussions began on the possibility of a friendly match between our women’s first teams. Additionally, a visit was made to Mohammed V University in Rabat. In all these meetings, possible lines of collaboration between Sevilla and Morocco in various fields were outlined.

Furthermore, Sevilla has also been able to firsthand experience the facilities of the Football Academy and the Mohammed VI residence where the AMF Tournament Sub-19 was held, which has become a High-Performance Center for player development. It’s worth noting that Youssef En-Nesyri, who lends his name to one of the football fields in this complex, took his first sporting steps here. The presence of Sevilla FC has generated significant media coverage in the country, where various media outlets are covering the development of the Sub-19 Tournament, which is being broadcast on the public television channel STNR. STNR has also produced a report on the connections and common projects of the club with Morocco. In fact, Sevilla is increasingly gaining a larger group of supporters in the country, with almost 1.3 million Moroccan followers across our various social media profiles.

In purely sporting terms, Sevilla’s youth team B had a notable participation in the AMF Tournament Sub-19, reaching the semifinals where only penalties against Ajax prevented them from reaching the final. Previously, they had defeated Aspire Academy from Qatar, Liverpool in the group stage, and RC Strasbourg in the quarterfinals.