"Nowadays, it is impossible for a player to be unknown"

Barcelona sporting director Anderson Luis de Souza, 'Deco', said that football talent is now "easier" to find thanks to technology, although he admitted that there is still room for improvement in analysing the mentality of players and how they fit into a specific group.
The Barcelona executive took part in the session 'The future of the player transfer market' within the 'Sports Tomorrow Congress 2024', the knowledge and innovation conference promoted by the 'Barca Innovation Hub (BIHUB)', which is being held within the framework of the MWC. In his speech, Deco, in response to questions from BIHUB director Albert Mundet, gave his opinion on the influence of technological advances when it comes to signing a footballer.
"Nowadays, it is impossible for a player to be unknown. Talent, today, is easier to find, it is not hidden," reflected the 'Cules' sporting director. In this sense, he praised the existence of tactical platforms that facilitate the work of coaches, physical trainers and scouts, but also listed the aspects in which technology still has room for improvement.
In particular, Deco pointed out that these tools do not yet delve into more qualitative aspects such as a player's mentality or how his game can be adapted in a team. "The big difficulty is to know how a player will adapt to the pressure and the type of club. That is to say, how he will react to pressure or the need to win, as is the case at Barca, which is always fighting for titles. As well as the footballing culture", he added.
Deco also pointed out that technological tools help to know the characteristics of a player, but he considered that it is not the main parameter to define his economic value, which, in his opinion, is marked by market rules such as age, the interest of other clubs or if he is a franchise player.