Former Arsenal manager Wenger invests in Israeli startup PlayerMaker

Sports tech, Tel Aviv-based startup PlayerMaker said that former Arsenal club manager Arsène Wenger will be joining the firm as an investor and operating partner.

PlayerMaker has developed a technology that tracks and analyzes soccer players’ technical, tactical and physical performance using sensors that are mounted on the athletes’ shoes.

Wenger will be taking an active role in business and product development, the startup said in a statement.

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During his tenure at Arsenal, between 1996 and 2018, Wenger became the longest serving and most successful manager in the British club’s history. He is known for having “revolutionized coaching methods,” and for introducing new technologies and approaches to performance management, the statement said.

“Science can help make players stronger when used with data well — you can measure everything, after that it’s about how you use it,” Wenger said in the statement. “I believe that PlayerMaker is the best available solution to measure performance.”

PlayerMaker’s footwear-based motion sensor provides solutions for talent identification and development, prevents injuries and improves coaching practices, the company said.

Utilizing the motion sensors and advanced machine learning algorithms, their device tracks all technical, tactical, bio-mechanical and physical movement on and off the ball, giving managers and coaches a closer understanding of their players’ and team’s performance. Used by a variety of clubs worldwide, the PlayerMaker device helps coaches develop a competitive advantage, the statement said.

In addition, after four years of data collection, PlayerMaker holds the largest football movement database in the world and has developed advanced AI algorithms that provide actionable insights to players and coaches, the statement said.

“Arsène Wenger has always championed advancements in football [European soccer], for coaches, players and fans alike, said Guy Aharon, CEO and co-founder of PlayerMaker. “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.”