ABSTRACT
Big Data has football under control, just like in many other areas of our daily lives. It is about time to draw the right conclusions from this treasure of information as match analysis nowadays includes more than the counting of tackles, received passes, or distance completed. This chapter gives a brief introduction to the topic of automated match analysis and highlights the importance of utilizing a new stream of data, known as positional or tracking data. In the second part of this chapter, an outline for the different chapters of this book is provided. Finally, an interview with Urs Siegenthaler, head scout of the German men’s national football team, discusses the current situation and trends in match analysis and a new vision, which he connects to scouting and match analysis.
