EXCLUSIVE La Liga’s AI revolution has led to a platform that allows for real-time analysis from the dugout as Daily Star Sport has a closer look at the platform
It’s not every day you find yourself face-to-face with an AI influencer – but on a Monday morning in Madrid, that was the reality.
Early May sunlight spilled across the Spanish capital as the first hints of summer began to emerge, while inside La Liga’s HQ, another kind of future was being discussed.
For years, football’s technological revolution has lived mostly in the shadows – in recruitment departments, analysts’ laptops and the endless pursuit of the next Moneyball edge. Now, though, the sport’s data obsession is moving into the spotlight.
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And at the centre of it all was Alex.
Launched by La Liga in October 2024 to engage younger, digital-native audiences, the AI-powered virtual influencer appeared on a screen behind ex-Atletico Madrid star Mario Suarez, while hosting a Q&A with journalists.
The unlikely duo chatted about AI and La Liga’s growing use of technology. Alex quizzed Suarez on how he uses modern technology while working as a pundit, with the former star joking that he “loves it” despite admitting he is “not the best” with it.
However, Alex and AI influencers are only one part of Spanish football’s wider technological transformation.
Behind the scenes, La Liga has spent more than a decade building what it believes is one of the most advanced data ecosystems in world football.
Suarez outlined the league’s ‘Football Intelligence’ platform – a system designed to give every club across Spain’s top two divisions access to elite-level tactical and performance analysis tools.
In simple terms, it turns matches into fully searchable data banks. Coaches can instantly review clips, analyse tactical shapes, monitor player movement and track physical output in real time through camera systems positioned around the stadium.
In an era where football increasingly resembles a battle of information as much as talent, La Liga’s aim is simple: democratise the data revolution.
Suarez also uses the platform himself in television work, quickly pulling up tactical clips and analytical insights to help explain matches to viewers. He believes it “improves the fans’ matchday experience” by making the tactical side of football more accessible.
The system first launched in 2010 under the name Mediacoach, initially as a desktop-only product, before evolving into the expansive Football Intelligence ecosystem that exists today under the Sportian Performance umbrella.
La Liga describes it as a “cornerstone of performance analysis for Spanish football”, claiming it has “revolutionised how clubs prepare, compete and evolve”.
Ricardo Resta, the director of Football Intelligence, explained that the original objective was to provide every club with access to the same cutting-edge technology while maintaining the league’s competitiveness.
So La Liga made the decision to provide the platform free to all clubs, while also hosting workshops to help coaches fully understand the technology.
It’s the real-time data that really sets it apart.
iPads are positioned in dugouts, allowing analysts to instantly zoom in on key moments during matches. Tactical data is provided by Opta, while AI automatically tracks players across the pitch – meaning coaches no longer need to paint over clips themselves.
Managers can access live statistics covering virtually every metric imaginable – running data, pass accuracy, xG and positional information. And if a moment requires deeper analysis, a single click saves the clip into a playlist that can be revisited later.
The possibilities are almost endless. If a player is approaching an injury-risk threshold, for example, coaches can create alerts based on distance covered or physical output, helping inform substitution decisions in real time.
Trust, Resta explained, remains central to the project, with league officials in constant dialogue with clubs over how the data is used and shared.
When clubs are first promoted into the Segunda, they are invited to a session where they can get to grips with the platform. Resta noted they try and first meet before the coaches head off on their summer holidays for a first session.
A second session is then booked in for before pre-season, where Resta admitted most coaches have already dived into the platform.
That support continues throughout the campaign, with La Liga hosting regular seminars and workshops to help coaches and analysts navigate any questions they have during the season.
The sport’s technological revolution is no longer confined to the backroom; In Madrid, La Liga was not just talking about the future of football – it was already showing what it looks like.
UK fans can watch LALIGA live throughout this season via Premier Sports, or on Disney+ for each Saturday 8pm kick off