Football

Premier League clubs Chelsea and Burnley – as well as a host of MLS teams – are using an app, created by ai.io, that allows footballers around the world to complete specifically-designed drills and upload match footage of themselves.

Using computer vision and deep-learning machinery, which can recognise and evaluate a player’s movement, each user receives a score and then scouts are alerted to anyone that matches set criteria.

The aiSCOUT platform is the only digital scouting product invited into the FIFA Innovation Programme and already has several success stories, with Burnley signing Jez Davies and Chelsea handing a 10-week trial to Ben Greenwood, having discovered them on the app.

Not every budding footballer will be visited by a scout, but almost everyone will have access to a smartphone and that provides the player with a unique opportunity.

“It gives the power to the player,” ai.io COO and director of sports science Richard Felton-Thomas told the PA news agency. “You are always waiting for a scout to come and watch you, you can’t just ring them up and ask them to come.

“This just puts power into the players’ hands.

“We are really democratising that scouting process. Normally you go and watch and then go and collect more information afterwards, which is just inefficient.

A post shared by aiScout (@aiscout_app)

“You can’t replace the fundamentals a scout brings of going to a game, seeing how a player deals with adversity, how they transfer those raw skill sets to a match and taking instructions from a coach.

“Our tech is there to do the early talent detection but then scouts have to ID that talent with the traditional method.

“We give them the efficiency of enough information to say, ‘Don’t wait until the weekend to watch them’, because someone else might be doing that already.

“We don’t make the future decision of the player. The scout and the recruitment do that. I don’t think anyone wants AI to decide their fate. We are there to say on certain metrics, players are worth a look.”

Davies joined the Clarets when he was spotted on the aiSCOUT app shortly after being released by Tottenham and they quickly signed him up.

Greenwood had a 10-week trial at Chelsea before earning a permanent deal at Bournemouth, going on to feature in the Carabao Cup and represent Republic of Ireland at under-19 level.

There has also been huge success in India as players using a shared community phone have been scouted.

“We have had players trial and sign for Chelsea and Burnley and in India players who have downloaded our app from a shared community phone are now in football programmes,” Felton-Thomas added.

“If it wasn’t for a mobile phone they would never have the exposure. They were not playing registered football so a scout would never have found them but we are changing those lives through those opportunities with a phone.

“Jez Davies signed at Burnley. He was released at Tottenham. We didn’t know about him but he entered our app uploaded his reels and you can imagine being 18 and just coming out of Tottenham, his drills were incredible. Burnley saw that and within two weeks he was signed.

A post shared by Ben (@ben.greenwood_)

“The first player we trialled was a player called Ben Greenwood. He had brilliant stats, he was at a football college and had never been scouted by any team, he lived two miles away from Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham and they thought if he was that good, how come our scouts had missed him.

“They brought him in for a day, just to validate our data, but he ended up staying for 10 weeks. He scored on his under-19s debut but he didn’t get a contract.

“He was signed by Bournemouth and is on his second contract and played in the Carabao Cup for them. This is a player who had never once been scouted, so that was a huge success story.”

AI and the use of machine-powered learning is becoming more prominent in the game and is the next step in using data which has served the likes of Brighton and Brentford so well in recent years.

With more high-quality data available and advanced metrics, AI will be able to recommend tactics, which players to play in which game, when to make substitutions and who to buy in the transfer window.

A post shared by Soccerment (@soccerment)

And Aldo Comi, chief executive of leading global football analytics provider Soccerment, reckons we could see the implementation of some unusual tactics.

“Eventually, it will be able to do things like that. This is one of the most interesting aspects of the advent of AI in football,” he told the PA news agency.

“We saw in chess how AI invented some strange strategies which were difficult to accept by humans. They were counter-intuitive but ultimately they were right.

“At some point you will have managers listening to their assistants who listen to AI. The AI will come up with some strange solutions from a tactical point of view.

“Like for instance going 2-4-4 instead of 4-4-2. AI will provide very counter-intuitive solutions and strategies, but the outcome will be the same as in chess.

“I envisage a future where AI will support managers. It is difficult to see a future where there are no coaches. I hope that does not happen.

“To have a future where you have no coaches and just AI taking care of the tactical part would be too weird.”

While the use of data and AI is currently primarily used to analyse what has happened, Soccerment has designed an app called AIDA, which encompasses GPT4 and is a mobile AI data analyst, allowing players, coaches, fans and media uncover analysis and data analytics within minutes.

Comi added: “It was built to become your personal data analyst. Soon enough it will be able to get into more predictive stuff.

“That is the final aim, to give professional clubs to ask AI to suggest the structure of the team for the next game, how the players complement each other, which player should they choose in the next transfer market and why.

“It will be like having a human data analyst, but in this case you will just have it in your pocket.”

Another use of AI is the advent of wearable technology and Soccerment has developed a shin pad that will be able to track a player’s XG and other data in real time.

Comi added: “The shin pads track the technical part of the game, not only the athletic. We see how many passes, where on the pitch you make them, how many shots, the expected goals. It is the only wearable technology able to provide XG. That is the main advantage.

“The data comes through an AI model, which understands the technical events from a biomechanical point of view so it understands if you are doing a shot, cross or pass.

“From all of the data, the location on the pitch, the biomechanics, we are able to determine XG.”

:: To find out more about Soccerment and the launch of XSEED shinguards visit https://shop.soccerment.com/

Harry Milne converted Aidan Fitzpatrick’s cross after 27 minutes to open the scoring, but bottom-placed Queen’s Park quickly levelled through Ruari Paton’s close-range finish.

Fitzpatrick restored the home side’s lead straight after the break and Lewis Neilson’s header five minutes from time gave the home side some breathing space.

Parton scored his second from a delightful free-kick in the final minute, but third-placed Partick held on for a first win in three games.

In a 90 minutes featuring just two on-target shots, neither could lay a strong claim to deserving the three points.

The home side thought they had claims for a penalty when Lewis McGregor went down in the box late in the second half, but no decision came.

Morton head into Christmas in fifth, with their opponents two places lower in seventh.

Gabby McGill’s strike in time added-on meant an additional 30 minutes after Hamilton had overturned a 1-0 first-leg loss following goals from Connor Smith and substitute Jean-Pierre Tiehi.

Dylan McGowan headed off the bar for Hamilton in the first half of extra-time while Calum Gallagher later did likewise for Airdrie but the 2-1 score on the night and an aggregate of 2-2 meant penalties.

The first 11 spot-kicks were successful but Airdrie goalkeeper Josh Rae guessed correctly from Reilly’s effort, as the Diamonds secured promotion back to the second tier after a 10-year absence.

Callum Fordyce’s 72nd-minute header from a Charles Telfer corner broke the deadlock and Gabriel McGill struck nine minutes from time before Jay Bird’s free-kick cut the deficit.

The Championship’s bottom club made Airdrie work hard for victory, and Arbroath were left to rue Leighton McIntosh’s missed penalty just before half-time.

Airdrie’s Dean McMaster hit the bar early in the second half, and it looked like being a frustrating night for the Diamonds until Fordyce and McGill came up trumps.

Home midfielder Robbie Muirhead curled an effort against the post in the 27th minute.

But Airdrie went ahead five minutes later when Lewis McGregor drilled home at the near post.

The visitors thought they had sealed the win with 14 minutes remaining, only for Calum Gallagher’s effort to be ruled out for offside.

Nikolay Todorov opened the scoring against his former club in the 16th minute, heading in Adam Frizzell’s cross.

At the other end, Rhys McCabe cleared Miles Welch-Hayes’ header off the line and early in the second half, Dunfermline went close again when Paul Allan’s cross was deflected on to the post.

But Airdrie doubled their lead on the hour when Gabby McGill spun before hitting a shot into the top corner to seal the points.

The Spiders headed into the game with just one point from their last six cinch Championship games and fell behind shortly before half-time.

Liam McStravick’s pass sent Calum Gallagher racing clear and he coolly slotted the opener past visiting goalkeeper Calum Ferrie in the 39th minute.

Queen’s Park pulled level straight after the break when Josh Turner pounced on a poor clearance by Airdrie keeper Josh Rae to fire home.

Ferrie pulled off two superb saves to deny Airdrie late on, while the visitors finished with 10 men after Barry Hepburn was sent off in stoppage time following an off-the-ball incident.

Nikolay Todorov gave the hosts a fast start with his 11th goal of the season when he fired into the top left corner past Ryan Mullen inside a minute.

Airdrie doubled their advantage through Charlie Telfer’s composed finish in the 15th minute before Mason Hancock all but sealed the three points by heading home from a corner with 22 minutes remaining.

Michael Garrity grabbed a consolation for the visitors when he converted Jai Quitongo’s cross in the 73rd minute.

The home side consolidated the fourth and final play-off spot with victory, moving three points clear of Dunfermline – with a game in hand – after their 1-1 draw at home to third-placed Partick Thistle.

McGill struck three minutes before half-time in their semi-final second leg at the Falkirk Stadium, with the 1-0 win completing a 7-2 overall triumph.

Falkirk had a number of opportunities early on but a miracle turnaround always seemed unlikely and McGill tightened Airdrie’s grip on the tie when he pounced after a long throw.

Airdrie will now hope to clinch promotion at the third attempt after defeats in the previous two finals.

Smith, who joined Airdrie from Hamilton in 2021, struck early in the second half to help his side into a slender advantage before Saturday’s second leg at the ZLX Stadium.

Hamilton, relegated from the Scottish Premiership two seasons ago and bidding to avoid relegation to the third tier for the first time since 2004, were first to threaten through on-loan Hearts midfielder Connor Smith.

Connor Smith, playing against his brother Callum, fired an early angled shot inches wide, while Airdrie went close through Callum Fordyce’s half-volley, which was turned away by Hamilton goalkeeper Jamie Smith.

Accies threatened again through Connor Smith before the break when his shot from outside the box was well saved by Airdrie goalkeeper Joshua Rae.

Airdrie, buoyed after sealing a 7-2 aggregate play-off semi-final win over Falkirk on Saturday, edged ahead in the 56th minute when Callum Smith produced a neat near-post finish after a fine run into the penalty area.

Accies defender Daniel O’Reilly went closest to an equaliser when he headed a corner narrowly over in stoppage time, while Airdrie defender Craig Watson was sent off late on after his foul on Connor Smith earned him a second yellow card.

Ryan Dow gave the visitors a shock lead after 16 minutes as he slotted home Charlie Reilly’s cross, but Airdrie hit back to go into half-time with a 2-1 lead as on-loan Rangers midfielder Arron Lyall equalised in the 39th minute and teenager Liam McStravick found the bottom corner.

Former Arbroath loanee Mason Hancock’s header extended the hosts’ lead two minutes after the break before David Gold pulled one back for the away side.

But Charlie Telfer restored the Diamonds’ two-goal cushion with a close-range shot and ex-Arbroath midfielder Craig Watson put the score beyond doubt 12 minutes from time.

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe combined superbly to inspire Paris Saint-Germain to a 3-0 Ligue 1 win at Ajaccio on Friday.

The defending champions were without the suspended Neymar, leaving it up to the two other stars on their forward line to send PSG six points clear at the top. They did so in style.

Mbappe, who recently slammed reports of him wanting to leave the club as "completely false", cut a frustrated figure for much of the game even after breaking the deadlock in the 24th minute.

He was teed up by Messi for that opener before missing a series of chances to claim a hat-trick.

However, a commanding PSG display was eventually reflected by the scoreline as Mbappe and Messi linked up brilliantly for the latter to make it 2-0 before the long-time Real Madrid target added further gloss with his second.

Van de Beek has continually been linked with a move to LaLiga giants Madrid, who previously contacted Ajax over a possible deal at the start of the season.

The 22-year-old Netherlands international has also reportedly emerged as a target for Premier League side United.

Ten Hag was asked about the future of Van de Beek on the eve of Thursday's Europa League clash against Getafe in Madrid.

"I do not think so [that he will leave]," Ajax boss Ten Hag told reporters in his news conference.

"He has had a great evolution and has attracted international attention. There are players who are in the spotlight and then things change."

Ten Hag added: "Donny van de Beek has had a stormy progression the last months. A lot of big clubs noticed this.

"That's has been the last one and a half years like this with our players. We have not to think about this, but we have been doing these the last one and a half years already."

In 2019-20, Van de Beek has scored 10 goals in all competitions for Dutch champions Ajax – eight of those in the Eredivisie.

The England international moved to the Netherlands last month after cutting short his controversial stint in Saudi Arabia.

The midfielder played the full 90 minutes for John van ‘t Schip’s side against PSV.

Ajax, who trail the runaway leaders by 21 points, struck first through Steven Berghuis but were pegged back by a Luuk de Jong equaliser.

After the match, Henderson tweeted: “Loved every second of that. Lots of positives to take. On to the next one.”

Midfielder Van Der Vaart moves to Amsterdam from Danish side Esbjerg after Ajax bought out the remainder of the 17-year-old’s contract.

A club statement read: “Ajax has signed Damian Van Der Vaart. The midfielder has agreed to a contract lasting one season, until June 30, 2024.

“This marks the first contract with Ajax for the 17-year-old youth player.”

Esbjerg’s talent manager Anders Brynaa revealed an agreeable deal had been brokered which allowed the young Dutchman to move to Amsterdam.

“Over a long period, we have had a good dialogue with Ajax regarding a possible change of club for Damian Van Der Vaart, who has wanted to pursue the opportunity in his home country,” Brynaa told the Esbjerg club website.

“As a club, we have been financially compensated in an agreement that makes sense for all parties and we therefore thank Damian for his efforts for EfB and wish him the best of luck in the future.”

A post shared by Rafael van der Vaart (@rafaelvdvaart)

Rafael Van Der Vaart started his career in the Ajax academy.

He later joined German club Hamburg before a move to Real Madrid in 2008 and a spell with English Premier League side Tottenham.

The Dutchman – part of the Oranje side which reached the 2010 World Cup final – retired from playing in 2018 at Esbjerg, where he later had a short stint as an assistant coach.

The 25-year-old is set to be an important figure for his country at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, where he will have another chance to impress possible suitors.

The former Club America player was said to have been the subject of a €50million offer from Chelsea in the last transfer window, which Ajax refused, leaving Alvarez by his own admission "very disappointed".

Alvarez has been unable to prevent Ajax slipping to an early exit from the Champions League, but domestically they are leading the way in the Eredivisie, even after losing head coach Erik ten Hag and star winger Antony to Manchester United.

United are among the clubs to have been linked with Alvarez, who hopes the "difficult situation" of the last transfer window can be quickly forgotten.

"Of course there was interest from Chelsea. Nobody expected that they would make another offer," Alvarez said. "Ajax really couldn't go anywhere. They couldn't do anything more. They didn't have a player in my position."

Speaking to ESPN, Alvarez said he "fought as far as I could" before committing to Ajax for this season, knowing future opportunities could arise should he again be a top performer.

He has attempted more tackles (38), contested the most duels for the ball (174) and made more interceptions (22) than any other Ajax player so far this term.

By producing on the pitch, he is keeping the door open for more transfer opportunities in the future.

"Eventually you are aware that everything changes. A better competition, a better life for yourself and for your family. Because that's what it's all about in the end," Alvarez said.

"I've always thought for myself that I'm here because of my love for football, but also for my family.

"On the other hand, it motivates me enormously that clubs of that size keep an eye on my matches, my actions. I am very disappointed, but I am convinced that sooner or later a big club will come for me."

Onana, who is expected to join Inter at the end of the season on a free transfer, was travelling from the capital Yaounde to the port city of Douala, where the Indomitable Lions are gathering ahead of their World Cup play-off against Algeria.

Local media showed pictures of the car in which Onana was travelling, and another vehicle, with the front part of each being badly mangled.

Onana, 25, was taken from the crash site to the Cameroon team base and posed for pictures, appearing unhurt; however, it was determined he should head for hospital check-ups.

"Andre Onana is fine," the team's official Twitter page stated. "The Indomitable Lions goalkeeper joined his team-mates in the den in Douala this morning.

"More fear than harm for the moment after the traffic accident he suffered early this morning in Sombo on the Yaounde to Douala axis.

"Andre Onana will undergo in-depth examinations in a referral hospital centre in Douala."

Cameroon will host Algeria in the first leg of their play-off on Friday, with the second leg taking place in Blida next Tuesday. The aggregate winner will qualify for the Qatar 2022 finals.

Gesser, who joined the Eredivisie club three years ago, was due to be part of the Under-17 set-up in the coming season.

A minute's silence will be held ahead of Ajax 1 and Jong Ajax matches on Saturday, with flags flown at half-mast at the training centre.

The club said in a statement on Saturday: "Ajax has received the terrible news that Noah Gesser has passed away. The sixteen-year-old youth academy player was killed in a car accident with his brother on Friday evening.

"Ajax is deeply moved by this tragic event. The club wishes Gesser’s loved ones strength in the coming time in dealing with this immeasurable loss."