The game has grown at exponential levels now that it has become a billion dollar industry. Football as we know it is a high stakes poker game where owners invest billions in wages, transfer fees for different objectives. When investing such high numbers the risk is also high. To mitigate the risk, owners always want to ensure the best minds available are working in and out of the pitch to make educated decisions to ensure victory in all sporting and non-sporting related activities.
A.C.Milan already have their top-brass familiar to Milan fans who are praised and criticized for their decisions. But concealed from the Public eye are few people who work day-in and out to help the top-brass to make their educated guesses.
The use of data analytics in football and Milan is something Milan fans are not new to. Milan are continuing a scientific approach to their team’s preparations and we are looking at the people who help Pioli and co.
THE TEAM OF ANALYSTS
Before the arrival of Stefano Pioli as head coach of Milan, Milan employed Roberto Ferrari and Giorgio Tenca as match analysts. When Pioli came over from Fiorentina as the coach of A.C.Milan he brought over 2 more analysts in Luciano Vulcano and Gianmarco Pioli (Yes, he is the son of Stefano Pioli).
Milan therefore have a total of 4 match analysts for helping Pioli to analyse A.C.Milan as well as the opposition.
Objectives and Tools
Pioli is an early starter and begins the day at 8:30 am every day hence the support team makes it to office by 8:00 am. Their main objectives are to study the opposition and their moves and record Milan’s training sessions to find weakness and rectify them. Often after the game, they study the game with certain points of reference and requests from Pioli to get a better idea of what went wrong and what the team got right. The best part of it all is that it is an open floor. It is not uncommon for players themselves come up to these analysts with requests and suggestions or even with enquiries that demand their opinion.
The backroom staff literally live with a computer next to them all over their professional and personal lives. They are summoned even on their off days by the players or coach to make enquiries hence they carry a tablet with them.
A pioneered idea by these analysts was the introduction of an application that can be installed into any smart phone. The application was installed into the phone of every player. These analysts upload videos and and statistics of the opposition and their roles in the squad from a tactical point of view. This has increased accesiblity to expert analysis. An incident that comes to mind was that of Biglia and kessie being caught checking their phones in the dressing room was by the players to view the videos uploaded by the technical team as later explained by Pioli to the press.
Methodology of Work
All 4 analysts start working on their opponent 2 weeks before the match. For example for the match against Inter Milan, analysts would have started collecting data and analysis the week before the derby. This is done in order to let Pioli and Co. design their tactical and technical drills to capitalize on the opponent’s weakness. For the analysis they pick the last 6-7 matches played by the opposition and analyze the average positioning, behavior during transitions and try to identify patterns in play which is then examined by Pioli and devise a counter-measure to negate the opponent’s tactics. At the end of the week (last day before the match) they analyze set plays of the team.
Every training session of the team is recorded using a drone which can be assembled in a matter of minutes. The drone is used from the best possible angle depending on the objective of the particular drill. For example if the drill is to practice against counters the camera would pan towards the defensive lines. This would help measuring the effectiveness of the specific drill devised during training.
For the medical team, the drones are used to monitor the fluidity with which a player runs. They can use this data to assess physical capacity of a player and predict injury to a player.
Matchday
Finally when Matchday arrives the analysts spread themselves into a team of 2. 1 analyst, usually Vulcano sits in the dugout with Pioli and assistant coach Muratti while rest 3 sit inside the press box where cameras are connected to computers and laptops to analyze the games. Those sitting in the press box are able to view all 20 outfield players playing on the pitch and are able to make deductions and find out mistakes.
These experts in-turn inform the changes to be made to Vulcano and send data to his laptop who after studying the data, warns manager Stefano Pioli who then leaves the dugout to scream instructions at the players. Such a method was newly introduced by Pioli in Milan.This helped Milan develop a cutting edge technology to provide the edge in games.
The main points assessed by these analysts are Chances created and chances conceded. Once these statistics are record the analysts work back the whole move to find the point of incidence to find the move that led to it. Once the half time happens, these analysts sit with the players and have direct discussions with the players.
CONCLUSION
If any evidence for how Milan have gone along with the times are asked, the analysts will be stark evidence. Coach Pioli described a desire to adopt the methodologies of Bayern Munich and now Milan can be seen applying concepts of science into this subjective sport called football.
The Milan Blog 