SAP and the German Football Association (DFB) have showcased the SAP Match Insights solution for football, the result of a co-innovation project between SAP and DFB.
This solution, running on the SAP HANA platform, is intended to facilitate the analysis of training, preparation and tournaments for the World Cup, according to a media statement. It will also enable coaches and scouts to process vast amounts of data to find and assess key situations in each match to improve player and team performance.
"SAP's involvement has transformed the football experience for coaches, players, fans, and the media," says Oliver Bierhoff, SAP brand ambassador and manager of the German national football team.
"Imagine this: in just 10 minutes, 10 players with three balls can produce over seven million data points. SAP HANA can process these in real-time. With SAP, our team can analyse this huge amount of data to customise training and prepare for the next match."
SAP Match Insights features a simple user interface that can be used by players and coaches to facilitate a more interactive dialogue to debrief the team and prepare for future matches.
"Today, each sports team is looking for innovative ways to gain a competitive-edge over its rivals," adds Bierhoff. "We are representing one of the most successful teams in the world. The DFB is committed to providing the German national team with the best technology to maximise their performance. SAP meets this demanding criterion."
The insights are also aimed to be beneficial for the media, enabling better informed commentary, notes Simon Carpenter, chief customer officer at SAP Africa.
"Big data is an incredible resource for coaches and players to contextualise information and draw well-informed conclusions to optimise training and tactics. It's high time to make this type of information accessible to sports journalism and the fans as well."
He notes the world of sports is changing, with technology innovation in every area: the fan experience, player performance monitoring, team management, ticketing, and venue operations.
"The DFB is keen to spearhead this industry transformation. With solutions provided by SAP, together we are perfectly poised for this transformation and a successful World Cup.
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