Ready for 2025? The AI Strategy Only 5% of Performance Directors Know

Ready for 2025? The AI Strategy Only 5% of Performance Directors Know

Ready for 2025? The AI Strategy Only 5% of Performance Directors Know

Last week, I had an insightful conversation with a performance director from an NBA club who was navigating a rough start to the season. His goal for this season was clear-cut: Steering the team to the playoffs.

But as he shared, the path to that goal was anything but simple. For him—It’s a high-stakes balancing act between immediate results and long term objectives, all while managing tight budgets, data overwhelm, and the constant pressure to win now.

This challenge is all too familiar for performance directors, often caught in a cycle where short-term wins are essential to unlock the resources needed for long-term success.

Yet, Is there a way to break out of this cycle? The answer lies in: ‘Strategic Innovation’.

Strategic Innovation – 3 Case Studies Below:

Strategic innovation is the key strategy enabling top performance directors to achieve immediate goals while building resilient, sustainable systems. With this approach, teams can achieve up to five times the results with the same—or even fewer—resources.

At the heart of this shift is Artificial Intelligence (AI), which has already redefined operations for leading sports teams. This technology empowers performance directors to meet immediate objectives while establishing a solid foundation for sustainable growth.

Below are three case studies showcasing how AI is enabling top performance directors to secure wins on and off the field.

#1 How AI Cut FC Barcelona’s Analysis Time from 300 Hours to 4:

FC Barcelona, aiming to optimize performance and streamline operations, partnered with Kognia, an AI-driven performance analysis platform. This collaboration transformed the club’s approach to video analysis, slashing manual review time from 300 hours to just 4.

Kognia’s AI technology generates actionable insights from game footage in minutes, allowing Barcelona’s coaches to spend less time on data crunching and more on strategic adjustments. This shift saved hundreds of manual pre-match analysis hours for Barcelona’s Performance department.

#2 How AI Took Wisla Krakow from Relegation to Making History:

Wisla Krakow, a storied Polish football club, recently faced financial challenges and relegation from the top division. Determined to turn the tide, CEO and AI expert Jaroslaw Królewski partnered with Respo Vision, a leading Polish company in AI-driven visual analytics.

The results were remarkable: in May 2024, Wisla Krakow claimed the Polish Cup, becoming the first team outside the top division in nearly 30 years to achieve this. The partnership also drastically cut down manual data analysis time, as Respo Vision’s AI generated automated reports after each game—capabilities accessible only to larger clubs with more resources.

#3 How AI Transformed Liverpool’s Corner Kick Strategy:

Liverpool FC partnered with Google DeepMind to gain a tactical edge through AI. TacticAI assesses player positioning, predicts pass and shot probabilities, and provides strategy adjustments based on real-time data. Leveraging geometric deep learning, it fills gaps left by limited in-game data for specific scenarios like corner kicks.

The results have been revolutionary: Liverpool’s coaching staff preferred TacticAI’s recommendations over their own setups 90% of the time, highlighting AI’s accuracy and strategic insight. This success demonstrates how AI can directly elevate on-field performance while offering valuable insights for broader sports analytics.

Are You Ready for 2025? (Personal Invite)

These innovations are proof that AI is transforming the performance cycle, turning it into a self-sustaining model. Strategic innovation empowers clubs to secure short-term wins while building the resilience they need for long-term success.

On November 20th, 2024, we’re hosting an exclusive virtual showcase, where the top 6 AI performance solutions making an impact will be featured, alongside over 40 leading performance directors gathering to discuss BIG wins for 2025.

Ready to Elevate Your Performance With AI? Click Here (Limited seats available).

Stay tuned for more,

With Love for sports and innovation,

Amir Raveh,