Ex-Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger joins Israeli sports start-up

Wenger, who left Arsenal in 2018 after 22 years in the North London team's dugout, will take an active role in the company's business and product development.

By EYTAN HALON
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger applauds the fans after the match. (photo credit: MATTHEW CHILDS/REUTERS)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger applauds the fans after the match.
(photo credit: MATTHEW CHILDS/REUTERS)
Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger will be joining Israeli-British soccer technology start-up PlayerMaker as an investor and operating partner, the company has announced.
Wenger, who left Arsenal in 2018 after 22 years in the North London team’s dugout, will take an active role in the company’s business and product development.
PlayerMaker combines motion sensors attached to a player’s boot and machine learning technology to track technical, tactical, biomechanical and physical movement on and off the ball, providing managers with data and deep insight into individual player and team performance.
The technology is in operation at clubs around the world, including Fulham FC, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Atlanta United FC and Shandong Luneng Taishan.
“Science can help make players stronger when used with data well – you can measure everything, after that it’s about how you use it,” said Wenger, who told reporters of his interest to return to football, but not necessarily on the touchlines.
“I believe that PlayerMaker is the best available solution to measure performance,” Wenger said.
PlayerMaker offers three technology packages for different levels of the game, offering varying levels of analysis. The company says it has “the largest football movement database in the world,” collecting more than 830 million data samples in over four years.
“Arsène Wenger has always championed advancements in football, for coaches, players and fans alike, and we are proud to welcome him to the PlayerMaker family,” said PlayerMaker CEO and cofounder Guy Aharon. “We delivered rapid international expansion over the last year in line with the huge global demand for our technology, and thanks to Arsène Wenger’s involvement, we are expecting to accelerate further our growth trajectory throughout 2019 and beyond.”