EM 2024: Will AI give the German team the decisive advantage?

Every European Championship game is filmed by numerous cameras – the images from which are never broadcast. This was also the case on Friday evening with the opening game of the European Championship, which Germany won 5:1 against Scotland. A dream start for the team and all the fans.

But besides the fans in front of the televisions, there is EM another spectator: the AI. It watches every second of the game, knows exactly where the ball is and even every limb of all 22 players. And its analysis of this data can then make the decisive difference between victory and defeat.

Daniel Link is Professor of Training Science and Sports Informatics at the Technical University of Munich. Link works with the DFL and the FIFA to continually improve the collection of this data. In an interview with BILD, he explains: “This data analysis can be an important additional factor in gaining a gaming advantage through data-driven decisions.”

Because in addition to the coach, team doctor or kit manager, there is also the job of the data analyst at the German national team.

AI gives tactical advice

The expert explains how this can look during a game using an example: “When the ball is lost, the question arises: should I play counter-pressing now? There are two options here: you can go for it, win the ball back and create a dangerous moment. Or the team can drop back and risk a counterattack from the opponent. This is where AI comes into play: it can answer this question based on live data and also the analysis of past games.”

But AI analysis is also used off the field: “The latest craze is so-called limb tracking,” says Link. This can be used, for example, to estimate the fatigue of each individual player or to assess technical skills, such as when receiving the ball.

Link: “This is used for training control. For example, they have eleven regular players who played at the weekend and some who didn't play at all. At the next training session, they have the problem that everyone was under different strain. The better the data, the better they can assess the strain and adapt the training.”

National team relies on technology from Germany

The technology for the German national team comes from the German software company SAP, among others: an app sends the data analyses directly to the coaches' and players' smartphones. The SAP AI Joule provides opponent analyses for match preparation. “Using an iPad, we even have the option of giving the players updates until shortly before kick-off or during half-time in the dressing room,” says Benjamin Glück, assistant coach of the national team, about the software.

So will AI soon replace human coaches? No, says Daniel Link. “AI is a tool that takes work off your hands. The analyses could also be done by hand, but this speeds up the process. But it is not the AI that makes the decision about a tactic or move.”