Athletic leads the way in advanced data analytics with S3Global

Athletic Club has signed an agreement with S3Global, an American company specialising in advanced sports data analytics using Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence.

The Seattle-based entity, led by former senior Microsoft engineer Jeff Alger together with technology entrepeneur Laurence Leydier, applies Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence to movement science and sports analysis in a bid to empower coaches when it comes to making decisions.

“This is a very important agreement for Athletic Club. It will help in the development of our academy players and in maximising the performance of our first-team players,” Jon Uriarte said at the signing ceremony.

“This will put Athletic at the forefront of technological advancements in the football industry.”

Leydier believes the partnership will “be a terrific marriage”, explaining that S3Global’s expertise can benefit Athletic on and off the pitch.

He continued: “Athletic Club was the perfect choice for us to start with. It’s a unique club being that it only fields Basque players. Athletic is also known for being at the leading edge of technology in football, which was important for us.

“The most important part of the service we provide is that it has a lot of detail. It’s all in 3D and we can capture everything that a player does and thinks in relation to what happens between them and their teammates as well as their opponents. This technology will also help in providing more engaging and entertaining experiences for the supporters.”

This agreement forms part of the current transformation process at Athletic. In this context, Athletic has also recently incorporated Germán Garitaonaindia as Chief Data Officer. Germán is responsible for establishing and managing a data strategy in all areas of the Club.