In the world of football we are used to hearing about clubs and national teams using data analytics, but not so much football agents and agencies.
Think about it though, and it makes a lot of sense for them to do so: in terms of finding players, valuing them and then managing them. This is where Ensk.ai comes into its own.
The Bulgaria-based company was launched in 2019 and, in the words of Founder and CEO Daniel Strahinov, is "the first software service platform that is 100% designed and built for football agencies”, covering "the entire life cycle of a football agent’s business.”
The role of Wyscout Data in the life cycle of a football agent’s business
Data is a huge part of the life cycle, with Wyscout powering the platform.
“When we started the business, we wanted to reduce the level of subjectivity and inefficiencies in the football market,” Strahinov explains. “If we didn’t have the data we have, this would be close to impossible. Through Wyscout data, we have indisputable facts to fuel what we do.”
Fellow Ensk.ai Co-Founder and Head of Research Elvan Aydemir adds: “Agents are not usually used to using the data in that way, so we are trying to introduce them to the topic.”
Wyscout data is used in a number of ways on the platform. The first is in understanding and assessing player performance and potential.
Ensk.ai covers hundreds of professional leagues and more than 150,000 active players at both youth and senior level. The tool allows users - which can include clubs, federations and investors, as well as agents - the ability to identify players who fit their specific criteria.
This will include information on their agents, contract expiry, expected transfer value, injuries, physical metrics and performance. There are plans to add psychometric information to the mix as well.
This is all bespoke, depending on the individual needs of the client.
“There are no good or bad players, there are players that fit certain needs - that could be the needs of clubs, agents or federations,” Strahinov explains. “This is why everything we have built is customisable. For example, you can look for exactly the profile of the left back you are after.”
"The way we use Wyscout data to do this is by focusing on certain aspects of the game. For example, offensive or defensive actions depending on the need, which the user can define and which is fed into our algorithm."
In regard to player profiles, Ensk.ai allows users to specify which aspect of the game they want to focus on while evaluating the performance of players. This flexibility comes from being able to customize what goes into player performance evaluation. The tool has default evaluation procedures based on player roles, which may be defensive or offensive focused depending on type of role. For example, striker defaults will primarily be offensive while center backs may be defensive. However, this is all customizable depending on position.
An example of the categories of information provided in an Ensk.ai player profile.
How the granularity of Wyscout Data enhances algorithms and player performance models:
The depth and breadth of Wyscout's data stood out compared to that of other providers, Aydemir explains.
"All of our models, our player performance models for example, take millions of data points and hundreds of variables. Clients can take a deep dive or they can take a decision from an algorithm.
"This is one of the reasons we opted to go with Wyscout. We found the level of granularity in other providers was not as big or comprehensive. They can customize as much as they want, but if they don’t want to be bothered with that there is a layer on top that makes the decision for that.
“If you have granular data you can slice and dice it however you want, to enable ourselves to be as flexible as possible.”
Strahinov adds: "Another principle for our scouting algorithm is being able to apply them globally. Therefore the fact Wyscout data has one of the best coverages enables us to do this. Different agents work in different territories and are now able to look into more niche markets for specific needs. This is enabled by our algorithms built on Wyscout data.”
"Different agents work in different territories and being able to look into more niche markets for specific needs. This is enabled by our algorithms built on Wyscout data.”
Daniel Strahinov - Ensk.ai CEO
Ensk.ai’s alternative to Transfermarkt:
One of the most eye-catching features of the Ensk.ai platform is its player valuation tool. This is a fundamental area of football, with player wages and transfer fees forming the biggest part of most clubs’ expenditure, yet assessing valuations is often an imprecise and unscientific process.
"This world relies heavily on one website, called Transfermarkt,” explains Strahinov. "Quite often the valuations are off. A couple of years ago we said, ‘We can’t just rely on this, we have to see what we can realistically expect in the transfer market.'
"Clubs and agents often don’t know what to go with in negotiations. So we developed something that tries to be all-encompassing. We try to take performance, potential, demographics, perceived value, past transfers, the selling club, the agent, into account.
"We score all players that exist in Wyscout’s database continually for this 'fair transfer value', as we call it. This is their realistic value at the next transfer window. It is actually performing much better in terms of accuracy than Transfermarkt."
Aydemir adds: "We perform regular updates to all our models on a biweekly basis and perform scoring to see how players' fair transfer value is progressing based on their performance and other factors. The estimated player values are then validated after every transfer window by comparing them to actual transfer fees within the latest window." It is a bit wordy, but that is basically the gist of it. Feel free to shorten as fit.”
The Ensk.ai scouting homepage, showing variables that can be searched for any player, in any position.
How Ensk.ai build custom solutions using Wyscout API
Ensk.ai uses Wyscout’s API (which stands for Application Programming Interface) to integrate their database and stats into their own product. This enables the Bulgarian company to create its own database and then choose the outputs, with different models and metrics.
The API also ensures that Ensk.ai has the most up-to-date Wyscout data.
“The API access allows us to do things at scale,” Aydemir explains. "Imagine the time you have to use to go through a single player’s results. When you use the API, in the same timeframe you can sift through hundreds of thousands of players if you have the algorithms to do so.
“That allows us to scale our operations in a way that would not be possible otherwise. With the API you can crunch everyone in a short space of time.”
Strahinov adds: “Having access to the API allows us to build our own solutions, it’s as simple as that. For us it was very important to be able to build our own tailored metrics, our own customisable solutions that combat the fact that you have as many opinions as you have people in football.
“Using the API allows you to be tailored and gives a lot of flexibility.”
Diagram explaining the Ensk.ai data integration model.
Wyscout’s continued support to Ensk.ai
However, as so often in football and beyond, the human element is vital too. Ensk.ai believe this is where Hudl and Wyscout also set themselves apart."
“We were working with Wyscout before they were acquired by Hudl (in July 2019),” Aydemir says. “We have always had very quick returns to our questions and have also been able to give a lot of feedback. This was taken seriously by Wyscout and by Hudl, enabling them to implement and better their products.
“The collaboration has been really important for us to trust Wyscout and our own solutions as well. This has been a really nice collaboration.”
With FIFA’s new agent regulations having been introduced in January this year, there is more need for transparency and professionalism in the industry than ever before. This should see Wyscout-powered Ensk.ai really coming into its own.
“There is going to be a huge push to track what you do, show what you do, and only the most efficient agencies will survive,” Strahinov agrees.
"They will have to use smart solutions in a completely different setting that is heavily regulated. Tech solutions can be the foundation of this which is why we moved in this way."
