We spoke to Agustin Alabau - a football coach turned data wizard and the creator of MVP Football Academy - who is combining analytics with personalized football coaching to take his players to the next level.
Please tell us a bit about MVP Football Academy (the idea behind it/ how it got started)
The idea of MVP was born in 2023 when I returned to Spain after being the head coach at a Spanish football academy in Oman. I started a master’s degree that opened my mind to the possibilities of implementing data analysis in the players I coach, which seemed very promising. Shortly before that, I received a call from a professional club in the 3rd RFEF (Spanish 5th football tier), but we couldn't reach an agreement. Afterward, we launched MVP Football Academy in Gilet (Valencia), where more than 50 players have already come through to receive specialized technical training to complement their team sessions. Right now, we are testing and implementing various tools in the best possible way, such as video analysis, goal monitoring, and tracking our players' progress with their respective teams—but always using data to avoid subjectivity.
What data analysis can you offer your players and how can it impact them?
Data analysis offers us several competitive advantages compared to other clubs or academies, honestly: from setting goals and tracking the steps taken to achieve them, to improving technical-tactical aspects through video analysis, and monitoring player progress with personalized individual reports and tools tailored to each player.
(For example, imagine a player asks for help to try and join a professional academy. At MVP, we provide optimized data analysis and reports to help give that player the opportunity they deserve.)
For the player, this offers a competitive advantage that becomes evident on the field during games and training sessions, and the players are very aware of everything that’s proposed to them.
You recently completed your master’s in Big Data in Football Scouting. Going forward, what learnings can you take from that master’s that you can implement into MVP?
Honestly, the master’s program (from Sports Data Campus and UCAM University) has provided me with knowledge I would never have acquired on my own: from creating different reports, reading data correctly, and generating work more focused on professional football. However, what impacted me the most was that after finishing the master’s, I now feel capable of progressing and creating tools that can be utilized at MVP.
You’re currently working on another data analysis project. Please can you tell us more about that and plans for the future?
My most recent experience was opening a new MVP branch in Caudiel (castellon) and working with the staff of the Belize National Team during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers as a Data Analyst. After that, I’ve been in talks with other CONCACAF national teams and professional and semi-professional clubs in Spain. We’re close to finalizing a new opportunity with a 3rd RFEF club, and I’m developing a series of automated reports for youth football categories, as well as new tools implemented at MVP, such as automatic tracking for our training sessions.
