PSG head to League One Reading for AI summit
Paris Saint-Germain are visiting League One Reading for a summit on artificial intelligence.
The French club will go to Bearwood Park, Reading's training complex, on Friday. Ajax, Crystal Palace and Italy's Como are also among the clubs taking part, according to BBC Sport. Reading play in League One, the third tier of English men's football.
Reading set up a pioneering AI department a year ago. The move was driven by owner Rob Couhig. Twelve months on, that small department is welcoming some of the biggest names in the European game to Berkshire.
The work is led by Stuart Fenton. His job title is Head of AI. He is the first person to hold that role in English football.
Recruitment is the main focus. That means sifting through huge amounts of data to spot players who could fit Reading, and to judge what they might be worth before any bid. It is the same job scouts have always done, watching and comparing players, only done faster and with more numbers to sort.
The club also uses AI in other areas. Coaches can use it to study tactics, looking for patterns in how teams attack and defend. Off the pitch, it helps with retail, understanding what supporters buy and when, and with turf management, which is keeping the playing surface at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in the best possible condition.
Friday's meeting will also look to the future. Reading will use the event to launch a new programme with Setanta College focused on sports technology and artificial intelligence. It is designed to train people who want to work where coaching, data and technology meet.
Fenton told BBC Radio Berkshire the visit is exciting. He said it shows how far Reading's AI programme has advanced in a short time.
What makes this stand out is the guest list. PSG, Ajax, Palace and Como do not normally queue up to visit a League One training ground. They are coming not for a match, but for ideas.
For fans, this means something simple. A club with a modest budget is trying to think its way forward. On Friday, for a few hours at Bearwood Park, Reading get to set the agenda for the rest.
