" I do not use tactical data a lot because I think that's more for specialists workin at a club level. The only data I use are statistics on set pieces or conceded goals to give a general overview."
Peter Vandenbempt is known to be a commentator with a well-founded opinion. He has witnessed the evolution of data over the years and notes that this has not always been positive for the world of football he is working in.
" My opinion is we have evolved far too much into trying to objectify football. This is partly due to the influence of the younger generation, but if you look at previews of Eleven Sports, people get data they can't really understand. Data is very important for trainers and scouts, but football commentators get more and more information about percentages and expected goals,… which makes it difficult to understand for the audience. However, data will continue to evolve and increase for the staff at the club who can use it every day."
In football related talkshows such as Extra Time, tactical data is hardly used to discuss topics and Vandenbempt is convinced that this is not going to change soon in the future.
"We may also rely more on the data during a game. I think physical data of the players pretty relevant like how much someone has run or the comparison between teams on the physical level."