The sports management is one of the fundamental pillars on which a football club is built, and its adaptation to handling large-scale data is essential today. For this, the work of scouts and analysts is crucial, as they are key personnel in decision-making, and their training is increasingly in demand. Sevilla FC, through its Innovation Center and in collaboration with the Catholic University of Murcia and the Sports Data Campus, co-organizes one of the most reputable training programs in this area: the Master’s in Big Data applied to scouting in football.
It has been three years since the start of this training, and its fifth edition will begin on October 24 with a record number of enrollments. The number of students has increased by a remarkable 35% compared to the fourth edition. This number could increase further, as the enrollment period is still open. Enrollment can be formalized through this link. Master’s in Big Data applied to Scouting in Football in collaboration with Sevilla FC – Sports Data Campus.
The training aims to equip the scouts of the future with the use of digital tools that optimize their work process. An essential matter at a time when there is much discussion about technology, AI, and their impact on workplaces. It represents a development of the professional profile of the scout, enabling them to remain relevant in the market. So far, more than 300 students have completed this prestigious master’s program, providing students with the necessary knowledge to form a ‘Data-Driven’ sports management.
Over the past four editions, students have had the opportunity to do internships in the Data and Analysis departments of Sevilla FC, access internships and job opportunities at other clubs, and develop incredibly interesting final master’s projects.
The Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán has become a luxurious venue for hosting events of
all kinds. An ideal setting that provides opportunities for hosting training
sessions for various courses offered by Sevilla FC through its Innovation
Center every year. Just this week, the Sevilla FC stadium hosted the final day
of the Master’s in Sports Journalism organized in collaboration with the
University of Seville and another in-person session for the Master’s in Big
Data applied to Football Scouting, sponsored in conjunction with the University
of Murcia and the Sports Data Campus.
The latter is one of the flagship programs offered by the club in its
continuous collaboration with universities, adding significant value to the
Sevilla FC brand. The Master’s in Big Data applied to Football Scouting has
already completed four editions with over 200 students who have honed their
skills and been able to grow professionally in a sector that includes sports
directors, analysts, and scouts. During this visit to the Sánchez-Pizjuán, held
on Thursday, students from both the third edition, who received their
respective diplomas, and the fourth edition, which began in March and will
conclude in 2024, participated. Professionals from various departments of
Sevilla FC, a national and international reference in data usage and
technological development applied to football, were the ones conducting the
training sessions. The special guest was the new Sporting Director of Sevilla
FC, Víctor Orta, who had already participated in previous editions as a global
reference in the field.
The following day, it was the turn of the Master’s in Sports Journalism,
marking the completion of its tenth academic year. Organized by the Faculty of
Communication at the University of Seville, through the Center for Permanent
Training, and sponsored by Sevilla FC, this master’s program concluded with a
keynote address by Ismael Medina, a journalist from Movistar. The event took
place in the press room of the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, named after the
illustrious sports journalist José Antonio Sánchez-Araújo.
Attending the event were Pastora Moreno, the program’s director, Enrique
López, the director of Continuing and Complementary Education at the University
of Seville, and the club’s vice president, Fernando Carrión, who highlighted
the club’s commitment to the media. He stated, “Sevilla FC has always
understood the importance of walking hand in hand with communication, hence the
firm commitment, since the beginning of this century, to have a robust
Communication Department, in line with the entity, growing with it and
sensitive to new technologies and the current digitization of information. It
is a source of pride for us to collaborate with the Faculty of Communication
through this master’s program from its inception, training journalists.”
Furthermore, the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán not only serves as a luxurious
“classroom” for its own courses and master’s programs but is also
regularly chosen by LaLiga Business School to host special sessions for many of
its academic offerings. If there was a visit from students of the Master’s in
Sports Law in April and students from Hong Kong in May, these days saw the
visit of students from the Master’s in Management, Methodology, and Analysis in
Football.
These students had the opportunity to explore the inner workings of the club
and its management in various areas and departments: youth academy recruitment
– led by David Martín Valle, a scout for the lower categories of Sevilla FC –
sports management – led by Fermín Galeote, a member of that department – and
data usage for scouting by Jesús Olivera, the Data Football manager at the
club.
