Sevilla FC: Transforming player scouting with IBM’s generative AI

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In 2021, Sevilla FC, a premier team from Andalusia, Spain, faced an overwhelming amount of paperwork.

With a top-tier scouting team of 20 to 25 scouts, each player could generate up to 40 scout reports, necessitating 200 to 300 hours of review. Altogether, Sevilla FC had to manage over 200,000 reports on potential players, a task that demanded an enormous amount of time.

Earlier in the year, Sevilla’s fortunes started to change for the better in terms of time management.

They had introduced a collaboration with the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) having confirmed Scout Advisor, a cutting-edge AI tool that will equip the club’s scouting team with extensive data for identifying and evaluating potential player signings.

Developed using IBM’s watsonx, which is an AI and data platform for businesses, the club introduced the Scout Advisor concept to integrate it into its existing suite of in-house data-generative tools.

IBM is a top provider of global hybrid cloud, AI solutions, and consulting services. They assist clients in over 175 countries in leveraging data insights, optimising business processes, reducing costs, and gaining a competitive advantage in their industries.

Over 4,000 government and corporate entities in vital sectors like financial services, telecommunications, and healthcare depend on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift for rapid, efficient, and secure digital transformations.

IBM’s ground-breaking advancements in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions, and consulting provides their clients with open and flexible options.

Sevilla FC’s data department collaborated with the IBM Client Engineering Team to develop Scout Advisor, utilising watsonx’s natural language processing (NLP) and foundation models to search and analyse extensive information in the club’s databases for evaluating potential recruits. This encompasses quantitative data such as height, weight, speed, goals scored, and minutes played, as well as qualitative data such as a player’s attitude and alignment with the team philosophy from over 200,000 scouting reports.

During the period in 2021, Sevilla FC could quickly access and utilise quantitative player data within seconds, but retrieving qualitative information from the database was significantly slower in contrast.

The solution’s natural language processing capabilities allow the club to utilise multiple large language models (LLMs) to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of player identification. By interpreting scouts’ descriptions of key player characteristics, Scout Advisor creates a curated lists of candidates matching the desired traits and summarises comprehensive reports for each player. Additionally, Scout Advisor connects each player to the existing database to provide detailed quantitative performance data.

Player recruitment has traditionally relied on a mix of subjective human observation and data analysis. However, these methods are limited by the time they require and the few factors they consider. IBM’s Scout Advisor now gives the club a competitive edge by merging these existing indicators with generative AI, bridging the gap between data-driven scouting and hard to measure human behaviours.

This advancement will enhance Sevilla’s talent identification and support the decision-making processes.

The club’s scouting team is well-known for its data-driven approach to recruiting emerging talent. Furthermore, the club is at the forefront of developing innovative methods to use detailed information, allowing for a more holistic evaluation of every player they scout.

Watsonx processes this data and presents it in understandable terms, identifying potential signings using key qualitative indicators and expert scouting insights.

The club intends to use Scout Advisor during the summer in the recruiting season and expects to see results by September, with feedback having been positive so far.

With the time saved, scouts can now focus on human-centric tasks such as engaging with recruits, observing games, and making data-supported decisions.

One thing is certain is that the ability to make better-informed decisions about who to play, when to play them, and why has fundamentally transformed the recruitment process at Sevilla FC. This refined approach has not only enhanced the club’s ability to identify and secure top talent but has also provided a strategic edge in their overall team management and performance planning.

Recently, Melbourne Knights FC had agreed a new collaboration with leading football management software company, ProTrainUp. It would benefit local clubs, in terms of time management, to follow suit and by doing this they can focus their attention elsewhere.

Investing in AI is not a walk in the park as it does require large amount of funds, however A-League sides in both the men’s and women’s should also be taking an approach into implementing technology whether it’s for player scouting or the way footballers train, for a task that demands a vast amount of time that could easily be executed by AI as it eases the workload on team management and club operations.

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Grassroots Clubs Want to Grow – But They Need the Tools to Do It

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Image Credit: One-Nil Media

Across Australia, grassroots football clubs are doing extraordinary work to keep the game alive in their communities. Volunteers line fields, coordinate registrations, organise sponsorships and manage finances – often all at once. But new survey insights suggest something deeper: clubs want to grow commercially, yet many lack the knowledge and systems required to do so.

The results point to a clear reality. Community football’s commercial potential exists, but it remains largely untapped.

When asked about their club’s commercial strategy, confidence was strikingly low. Half of respondents (50%) said their club has only a limited commercial strategy, while 25% admitted there is no clear strategy at all. Only 25% described their approach as somewhat confident, and notably no respondents felt “very confident” about their club’s commercial direction.

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For a sport that prides itself on being the most participated in Australia, that figure should give administrators pause.

Community clubs are often expected to behave like small businesses – raising revenue, managing stakeholders and investing in infrastructure. Yet the data suggests many are navigating these expectations without a clear roadmap.

The question then becomes: where are clubs currently generating revenue?

The survey shows that sponsorship and memberships dominate equally, each accounting for 50% of the primary revenue sources identified by respondents. Events, often seen as a key opportunity for community engagement and fundraising, accounted for 0% of responses as the main income generator.

Image Credit: One-Nil Media

This reliance on two core streams highlights a structural vulnerability. Sponsorship and memberships are important pillars, but they are also susceptible to economic pressures and local community fluctuations. Without diversified revenue, such as events, partnerships, digital engagement, or merchandising, clubs risk stagnating financially.

However, perhaps the most revealing insight from the survey relates to the barriers clubs face in expanding their commercial capabilities.

A significant 75% of respondents identified a lack of commercial knowledge as the biggest barrier to growth. The remaining 25% pointed to volunteer capacity.

Image Credit: One-Nil Media

This distinction is crucial. It suggests the issue is not simply about manpower, but also expertise.

Volunteers remain the lifeblood of grassroots football, but expecting them to also function as marketing managers, sponsorship strategists and commercial analysts may be unrealistic without proper support. In many cases, passionate community members are asked to perform professional-level commercial tasks with limited guidance.

That challenge becomes even clearer when examining how clubs track their commercial performance.

Only 25% of respondents said their club tracks return on investment consistently, while 75% said they do so only sometimes.

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Without consistent measurement, it becomes difficult for clubs to demonstrate value to sponsors, justify investments, or refine strategies. In modern sport, data-driven decision making is not a luxury; it is essential.

For community clubs competing for attention and funding in crowded local markets, the ability to measure impact could be the difference between securing long-term partnerships and losing potential sponsors.

Encouragingly, the survey also highlights where clubs believe solutions may lie.

When asked what support they need most to grow revenue, 50% of respondents identified commercial education as the priority. Meanwhile 25% called for better commercial tools, and another 25% highlighted the need for stronger media and content capabilities.

Image Credit: One-Nil Media

Taken together, these responses paint a consistent picture: grassroots clubs are not asking for handouts, they are asking for knowledge, systems, and support.

This presents a major opportunity for football’s governing bodies, commercial partners and industry stakeholders.

If the sport is serious about strengthening the foundations of the game, investing in commercial capability at the community level must become part of the strategy. That could mean workshops for volunteers, accessible sponsorship toolkits, digital platforms that simplify partnership management or better storytelling frameworks that help clubs showcase their value to local businesses.

The demand clearly exists.

Community football already delivers enormous social return by bringing people together, supporting youth development and strengthening local identity. The challenge now is ensuring clubs have the commercial frameworks required to sustain that impact.

Because the truth is simple: grassroots clubs are willing to do the work.

They just need the tools.

And if Australian football wants to unlock the full potential of its largest participation base, empowering community clubs commercially may be one of the most important investments the game can make.

TX Football Unveils New 2026 Kit Range in Partnership with Corio Soccer Club

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TX Football has unveiled its 2026 kit range in collaboration with Corio Football Club, marking a partnership that combines tradition, performance, and a shared commitment to the grassroots game.

Built around Corio’s unmistakable green and white hoops, the new kit honours the club’s history while introducing a refined, modern design suited to the demands of contemporary football. The bold horizontal pattern symbolises unity and collective strength — a reflection of the players, volunteers, and supporters who form the backbone of the club.

Alongside the home strip, TX Football has also introduced Corio’s striking 2026 away kit. Built on a commanding deep red base, the design reflects pride, passion, and presence on the pitch. Sharp tonal pinstripes run vertically through the body of the jersey, creating a structured and confident silhouette that balances classic football aesthetics with a modern edge.

The range is engineered with elite-grade performance fabric, breathable airflow zones, and an athletic cut, the away kit is designed to support high-tempo football while maintaining comfort and durability across both match day and training environments. Worn proudly over the heart, the Corio crest remains a symbol of unity and heritage, while the TX mark across the chest highlights the strength of the partnership between Corio Soccer Club and TX Football.

Competitive Edge

The collaboration also reflects TX Football’s broader philosophy of precision, transparency, and quality within the football industry. The Australian brand prides itself on focusing on the technical details behind its products and maintaining full oversight of its manufacturing process. By controlling production from start to finish through its dedicated factory, TX Football ensures every piece of equipment meets strict quality standards developed through more than six decades of football manufacturing experience.

Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives

Beyond performance, the partnership highlights shared values around responsibility and community impact. TX Football supports charitable initiatives through its work with the Reagan Milstein Foundation, donating $2 from every retail football sold to help promote access to the game and redistribute sports equipment to communities in need.

The company also maintains a strong commitment to ethical manufacturing practices, undertaking independent workplace and environmental audits while fostering a gender-diverse and inclusive workforce.

For Corio Soccer Club, the partnership represents more than a kit launch. It reflects a collaboration with a brand that understands the importance of quality, transparency, and supporting football at every level.

As players step onto the pitch in 2026, the jersey will serve as more than a uniform — it will be a symbol of Corio’s identity, pride, and the enduring strength of the community that stands behind it.

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