As Arne Slot begins his role as Liverpool’s new head coach, he’s bringing in fresh ideas with the help of his coaching team. Assistant coaches Sipke Hulshoff and John Heitinga have new training techniques, while Ruben Peeters, the lead physical coach, adds lots of energy. Fabian Otte, who is in charge of goalkeeper coaching, is also coming up with creative training drills.
Off the field, Liverpool has been developing a new assistant to help with set-pieces—but this assistant isn’t human. Liverpool’s famous analytics team, led by William Spearman since 2023, has teamed up with Google DeepMind to create TacticAI, an AI tool to improve corner kick strategies. This project was highlighted in a paper published in Nature Communications. Researchers Zhe Wang and Petar Velickovic used data from 9,693 corner kicks from Premier League seasons between 2020 and early 2023.
TacticAI is an AI tool that helps coaches improve their game strategies. The main focus is on set plays, like corner kicks, which can be key chances to score when done right.
TacticAI uses smart models to predict what might happen next, such as which player will get the ball or if someone will take a shot, all based on where the players are standing. It also suggests changes in player positions to either increase or reduce the chances of certain outcomes. It uses detailed information, like players’ height, weight, position, and movements, to forecast what might happen next during a corner. For instance, it can predict which player is most likely to get the ball or whether a shot will be attempted. It can also suggest small changes, like shifting a defender’s position, to reduce the risk of conceding a goal.
For example, TacticAI might look at how defenders are lined up during a corner and suggest moving them to reduce the risk of the other team getting a shot. This helps coaches adjust their tactics during the game to increase their chances of success.
Liverpool has already shown how important good corner tactics can be, like in their famous 2019 comeback against Barcelona, when Trent Alexander-Arnold’s quick corner kick set up a crucial goal. Google DeepMind also found that expert reviewers preferred the AI’s suggestions over the usual tactics 90% of the time.
The goal of TacticAI is to make the analysis process faster and more efficient. Coaches no longer need to spend hours watching videos of opponents and have more time creating winning strategies. Instead, the AI analyzes the data and provides quick insights on how to improve their strategies.
While TacticAI hasn’t yet been fully implemented in Liverpool’s games, the project shows how seriously clubs are taking set-pieces, with nearly 30% of Premier League goals last season coming from dead-ball situations. Even a small improvement in tactics could make a big difference across a season.
This partnership highlights Liverpool’s role as a leader in using technology to improve football analysis and Liverpool’s use of AI is just the latest example of how technology is transforming football. But while AI can offer valuable insights, it will always be up to the coaches and players to execute the strategies on the pitch.
By Alexandra Taub
BOCCONI STUDENTS FOR SPORT MANAGEMENT 
Lascia un commento