Course · Starts February 9, 2026
Football Data for Decision Makers
For Sporting Directors, technical leaders and decision makers who want to use data to improve long-term planning, recruitment and decision-making at their club.
Overview
This course provides a comprehensive guide to using data in football, covering everything from the history and types of data to advanced applications in player recruitment, tactical analysis and coaching decisions.
Led by Dominic Jordan — the only person to have worked at an executive level with both Elon Musk and Manchester United — the focus is on how to get the most out of data within your organisation. Real-world case studies, from Brighton's playing style evolution to Brentford's talent identification, anchor each module in practical, club-level insight.
By the end, participants will know how to structure a data department, integrate analytics into decision-making, and plan next steps tailored to their club's context and budget. From the National League to the Premier League, this course is built for Sporting Directors who want to make smarter decisions, avoid costly mistakes and lead with confidence in a data-driven era.
What you'll leave with
- Choose the right data sources for your club's needs
- Understand key metrics like xG, xT and PPDA and how they're built
- Analyse team data to assess style and tactical fit
- Use data in player transfers and coaching decisions
- Build a sustainable data department and strategy
- Avoid common data mistakes and improve long-term decisions
Curriculum
Module 1
Case studies from clubs at all levels
Real examples from National League through to Premier League and beyond.
Module 2
Weekly tasks tailored to your club
Apply each week's material to the context, budget and priorities of your own organisation.
Module 3
Practical, modular format
Focused on real decision-making — no code, no jargon for its own sake.
Course leader
Dominic Jordan
Chief Data Officer, Twelve Football
Dominic Jordan is the Chief Data Officer at Twelve Football and formerly served as Director of Data at Manchester United. He has been instrumental in establishing modern data science practices within football organisations, enhancing analysis and recruitment strategies.
Who it's for
- Sporting Directors and technical directors
- Club CEOs, owners and ownership groups
- Head coaches and senior recruitment staff working closely with analysts
Testimonials
"The course teacher dedicated time to sit with me individually, start from scratch, and write a customised step-by-step plan. This was going above and beyond and really assisted me as a relative beginner in Python."
Liam Cody
Pro Solutions Team Lead, StatsPerform
"Thank you for all this course does for the community. I'll be joining a Brazilian club as a data scientist in the upcoming weeks, and it is crystal clear that it would not happen without your course."
Rodrigo Salvador
Red Bull Bragantino
"I appreciated the course very much. I recommend it for anyone interested in gaining additional knowledge in data science and analysis in their organization."
Martin Vogelbein
Scouting, Match Analysis — Deutscher Fußball-Bund
"Especially the insight into presenting the results via Python Streamlit was a big game changer for me. We are now establishing this framework at TSG Hoffenheim."
Fabian Rupp
Business Intelligence & Data Analytics, Hoffenheim
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