SFS, FOOTBALL BENCHMARK, AND DATA-DRIVEN FOOTBALL

Founded two and a half years ago as a spin-off of KPMG, Football Benchmark is a consulting firm in the football sector. As a partner of SFS24, which will take place at the Stadio Olimpico on November 19 and 20, it is a major player in the football industry.

Football Benchmark offers strategic and financial consulting services. Their clients all revolve around the world of football: from well-known clubs and leagues to investors, federations, and associations. Their website, available here, clearly shows how much they believe in and use data to enhance or analyze aspects such as individual athletes’ performance, the financial status of clubs, investment opportunities, and studies on the economic impact that events generate in relation to specific urban contexts and social fabrics.

Data has long been a highly valuable resource in sports (and beyond). A clear illustration of this is found in the movie Moneyball (2011), directed by Bennett Miller and starring Brad Pitt. Without giving away spoilers, the film revolves around profitable management and sports decisions—made by a baseball team—based on statistical and computerized analysis. Data, often referred to as “the new oil,” is indeed a useful support for all decision-making processes. But it goes further, as it also enables the development of personalized communication and marketing plans. In other words, understanding the target audience facilitates and simplifies advantageous processes.

This continuous drive for innovation and digitalization, especially considering recent advancements in AI, aligns closely with the philosophy of SFS24, which aims to create a digital and non-digital ecosystem built on values such as health, sustainability, tech, entertainment, and sports tourism.