Football is increasingly dominated by technology. It may even only be a matter of time before robots replace humans on the piste road.
At the end of 2018, Arsene Wenger went to the offices of two famous editors beIn SPORTS for an interview. They were Richard Keys and Andy Gray. It was supposed to be just a normal conversation until Wenger discussed the future. It was something the French strategist was always concerned about.
When he became Arsenal manager in 1996, he made a real revolution in the Premier League with completely new methods. Now, while resting after more than two decades working in the UK, Wenger predicts: robots can completely replace humans as coaches, in about 20 years. Upon hearing this comment, Keys and Gray immediately laughed
Wenger said the robot did not give direct instructions. However, it would be the right hand of the coaches. But, two veteran commentators did not agree at all.
Wenger is a famous conservative coach but has also admitted that AI has contributed more and more to football management and coaching. When we checked the information, Wenger was indeed wrong. Since it doesn’t take another 20 years, a robot was requisitioned for tactical matters at the end of January.
England’s Seventh Division team, Wingate & Finchley, took tactical and personnel advice from a robot. This robot was placed on the piste road in the match against Whitehawk FC. The opponent was fiercely competing for relegation with them.
The robot was built by GreenShoot Labs
It was first introduced at the Big Bang Trade Fair, to stimulate the passion for science among young people. The robot has a structure similar to a speaker, connected to a personal computer (PC). Its name is Alexa.
When the coach asks what tactical scheme to use, Alexa will inverse ask information about the opponent. The more detailed the information, the more specific Alexa’s advice. Alexa is essentially just a primitive version of a robot useful in the future. In the age of big data, whoever owns the better information and analysis, the easier it is to succeed.
Alexa is operating on the principle of giving tactical instructions based on direct information provided by the human coach.