Bringing Data Strategy from Cycling to Football

Our guest on Episode #75 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Teamworks, is Merijn Zeeman.

Merijn is the General Manager of AZ Alkmaar - a team that regularly compete at the top of the Eredivisie, despite having a budget that's dwarfed by their bigger rivals.

Prior to joining AZ, Merijn was the Sporting Director at Dutch cycling outfit Team Visma, helping them create history by winning all three Grand Tours in 2023.

In this episode, Merijn told us about the lessons he has taken from cycling into football, about how AZ have managed to outsmart the opposition and about their recent collaboration with Teamworks and Luke Bornn.

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SHOW NOTES =>

02:18: Big clubs in Holland have a budget 4 to 5x that of AZ.

03:30: Started at AZ in December 2024. Came in from cycling, where he was Sporting Director. Spent 10 years there. 

05:08: How Team Visma were transformed from also-rans to winners of three Grand Tours in one season. Culture had been bad/ still had one of lowest budgets.

08:55: How they transformed the culture. "It is not logical to expect a group of people will work good together."

14:22: Bringing in influences from outside cycling and why.

17:51: Move into football with AZ. How it came about.

19:07: General Manager role - not one we hear about often in UK football. What does it involve?

21:54: What makes AZ special and even unique as a club? Average finish of 3.8 in the Eredivisie in last 10 years.

26:27: Was the transition from cycling to football difficult? Originally from Alkmaar, which helped. Relationship with Dave Brailsford and also Erik ten Hag, who invited him to watch training at Manchester United.

29:33: How club use data. Influence of Billy Beane and Luke Bornn. Team Visma used data to overcome one outstanding rival rider. Use of Teamworks Intelligence and how it has helped. "One of the ambitions is that in maybe five years we can win games because we understand the game better through data than any other team." 

35:06: Big thing has been making data more accessible to the coaches at the club. 

36:48: How AZ use Teamworks Intelligence. Big thing is merging event and tracking data. Previously the club had tried to develop their own model. 

39:23: Using objective data to counter biases in decision-making. "For a lot of coaches it is about opinions or visions, not about objective information. It is very hard to progress if you don't have objective information."

42:25: How Team Visma used data to usurp a dominant rival rider. Taking this lesson into football.

45:35: What are the club's ambitions for the future?