TSG Hoffenheim and SAP are deepening their longstanding collaboration to jointly explore and validate the next generation of intelligence‑driven football operations.
As one of the German Bundesliga’s most forward‑thinking organizations, TSG Hoffenheim is working closely with SAP in a co‑innovation setup to pioneer and test new AI capabilities within SAP Sports One. The focus is on assessing how AI can support football‑specific processes such as scouting and video analysis.
Transforming scouting with generative AI
Scouting is crucial to TSG Hoffenheim and one of the most data-intensive areas in football. Talent evaluations often include dozens of detailed reports, observations, and assessments that must be synthesized into a clear player profile.
As part of the ongoing co‑innovation, TSG Hoffenheim and SAP are currently experimenting with AI‑supported scouting summaries in SAP Sports One. Early versions explore how SAP Joule can be used to ask natural language questions and receive AI‑generated responses that help condense extensive, unstructured text into more concise overviews, including recurring strengths, weaknesses, and performance tendencies.
Scouts can ask, for example, questions such as:
- “How good is player X at creating chances?”
- “Summarize the most relevant observations from the scouting reports of player X from 2026.”
- “What are the strengths and weaknesses for Player X?”
These capabilities are being evaluated for their potential to reduce manual consolidation effort and support consistency in player assessments. Together, these benefits aim to enable more informed decision‑making across both youth and professional scouting. TSG Hoffenheim actively contributes to shaping this capability as SAP evolves it, ensuring it reflects the operational realities of modern scouting organizations.
AI-assisted scene finder: accelerating video analysis
Video analysis remains one of the most resource-intensive workflows in professional football.
Working together with SAP and AWS Professional Services, TSG Hoffenheim is co‑innovating and testing an AI‑assisted scene finder concept. This capability explores how natural language input can support analysts in identifying relevant match situations more efficiently.
Instead of sifting through video material, analysts can describe the scenario they are looking for: “Show counterattacks after ball recovery that resulted in a shot on target.” Within seconds, the system can retrieve matching clips.
For clubs like TSG Hoffenheim, this capability has great potential to reduce time spent on manual video search, support more targeted tactical preparation, and improve collaboration between analysts and coaching staff as the solution continues to mature.
Shared commitment to innovation
“Our partnership with SAP goes far beyond simply implementing new technology,” Timo Gross, head of Football Intelligence at TSG Hoffenheim, said. “It’s a true co‑innovation relationship that combines our practical on‑field football expertise with SAP’s leadership in enterprise AI and cloud‑driven sports technology. By sharing real‑world insights from our daily work and validating new ideas early on, we play an active role in shaping the next generation of AI capabilities within SAP Sports One.”
As AI becomes an integral part of professional sports, SAP and TSG Hoffenheim will continue to collaborate on solutions that elevate performance, streamline operations, and unlock new strategic advantages.
With intelligent scouting, natural language insights as well as automated video discovery, the future of football analysis is rapidly evolving, and TSG Hoffenheim stands at the forefront of that transformation.
Isabelle Schuhmacher is communications lead for SAP Global Sponsorships.
Top image © TSG Hoffenheim
