Bochum coach Dieter Hecking believes that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in football can no longer be stopped.
"I'm already sure that things like match data or artificial intelligence will become more and more influential. Nobody will stop that. I'm also curious to see when AI will really start to influence the game," Hecking told the Frankfurter Allgemeinen Sonntagszeitung newspaper in an interview published on Saturday.
"I'm rather sceptical about many things that we could use. I do look at the data that is made available to us, but I think that the handling of this material is not yet fully developed," he said.
It's often difficult to conclusively combine the data and human perception, Hecking added.
"Football is still a simple game for me," he said, admitting he probably won't have to deal with the further development of AI in the sport.
"I assume that I will no longer be involved in operational business and I believe that I will be happy not to be part of this development," he said.
Bochum are currently 17th in the Bundesliga and are threatened with relegation to the second league. Hecking has extended his contract with the club until 2027 in case the team stays in the Bundesliga, but said that doesn't mean he will leave in the event of relegation.
"I just don't think it would be a good idea for me to start thinking about a contract for the second division right now," he said.
Throughout his career, Hecking has coached VfL Wolfsburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Hamburg SV, among other German clubs.
