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Bayern Munich players during a UEFA Champions League match. |
In modern football, clubs are increasingly relying on data to evaluate players, not just physical attributes like speed or passing ability, but also considering players' psychological factors, such as emotional control and leadership skills. These characteristics can be expressed through behavior and body language on the field, which experts are trying to measure and analyze to make more accurate decisions in player recruitment.
Yaw Amankwah, a former renowned defender in top leagues in Norway and Denmark, is a pioneer in promoting the use of advanced technologies to analyze the psychology of players. Amankwah believes that in football, behind every goal lies a treasure trove of valuable information.
Seemingly small actions, such as a comforting pat on the back from a teammate or an unconscious gesture, can reveal a great deal about a player's mental state. These details help professionals recognize a player's confidence, determination, or even isolation on the field.
Over the past six years, Amankwah, along with Professor Geir Jordet, analyzed thousands of hours of match video from around the world , including leagues like the Premier League and the Women's Super League. They built a massive dataset, with over 100,000 unique observations, which helped create a ranking of players based on their psychological behavior. This allows clubs to gain an overview of a player's emotional control, comparing them to teammates and opponents in the same position.
By using this analytics platform, clubs can identify whether a player is in the top 5% for emotional control, or whether they can remain calm in stressful situations. Jordet shared: “We’ve opened up a whole new world. This map provides clubs with an important benchmark to compare and evaluate players’ behavior in specific situations.”
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Player behavior will now be collected by AI. |
Bayern Munich was one of the pioneering clubs in testing this technology, back when the club was under coach Julian Nagelsmann. Max Pelka, a former Bayern psychologist, along with Amankwah and Jordet, analyzed Bayern's matches during the 2022/23 season. After each match, Pelka compiled observations of each player's body language, such as posture, head movements, and hand gestures, and then presented a summary of the team's psychological performance. This is a crucial factor that the coaching staff considers alongside tactical and physical data before deciding on the starting lineup.
Pelka said: “This is an additional factor in the thinking about team selection. These psychological behaviors can help coaches decide whether they need a leader in the defense, or if they want an option with a different personality.”
Players also receive analyses of their "personality" during matches. This helps them better understand how their bodies "speak" on the field and how they can better demonstrate leadership.
Pelka recounted that there was a defender in the team (Bayern Munich) who was very interested in this information. This player wanted to learn how to use his body language to guide his teammates. This couldn't change things immediately, but it would help the player improve gradually over time.
With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), Jordet and Amankwah are improving their analysis process. AI allows them to expand the scope of their analysis, enabling them to track and evaluate the behavior of a wide range of teams without being limited by the number.
Jordet shared: “By using AI, we can analyze a larger number of teams in a shorter time and inform clubs about potential players, confirming or challenging decisions about signing a particular player.”
With these advanced technologies, clubs can rely not only on traditional statistics but also gain a better understanding of players' psychology, thereby making accurate and timely recruitment decisions and avoiding the risks of hiring a player who may not be a good fit for the team's environment.
Source: https://znews.vn/ky-nguyen-moi-cua-bong-da-post1547189.html
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