GIS Graduate on his Career in Analysis So Far, from FIFA to CSKA Sofia

FIFA, Coventry City, and the Bulgarian Football Union – just a handful of the organisations that GIS graduate Aleks Asenov has scouted or done analysis for.

A former MSc Football Coaching & Analysis student, Aleks graduated in 2022 and has since secured multiple roles in professional football.

“Currently, I have a freelance role at FIFA as a Tournament Football Analyst,” he told GIS, giving an overview of his responsibilities at football’s top governing body.

“My job is to collect data from FIFA tournaments such as the World Cup. We collect our data manually, such as offers and defensive pressures, and we have significantly more data points than the second-place data collector.”

Alongside this role, which he has had for over three years, Aleks is an analyst for the U16 and U17 Bulgarian National Teams, as well as being an analyst and scout for the academy of Bulgaria’s most successful club, CSKA Sofia.

“A main feature of the job is opposition analysis. We took part in Euros qualification in Slovakia in October and played against Slovakia, Switzerland and San Marino, so me and my colleagues watched more than 20 matches altogether to prepare ourselves for the upcoming games. 

“During the actual games, I’m sat in the stands and am communicating directly to the assistant coach for changes in the game plan of the team and the opposition, etc.”

His role at CSKA Sofia is similar as part of the U15-U18 teams, whilst he also supports the coaching staff with player analysis, post-match analysis, and scouting.

Having also worked at Oldham Athletic as an assistant performance analyst in the first team, Aleks has had internships with Coventry City and Bolton Wanderers, which he sees as vital to career progression.

“I would advise other students to look for internships from as early as possible. Most of them will be unpaid, however the experience is invaluable as later that could tilt the scales in your favour.

“Keep applying- I got rejected by many different clubs, but FIFA said yes. Your yes is one application away.”

As for his own time as a student, Aleks said it was the football-focused environment that swayed him to study at GIS.

“The course,” he continued, “helped me massively, as the subjects studied were key for my deeper understanding of coaching and analysis. 

“Prior to that, my experience within analysis was limited, however the master’s at GIS completely changed my perspective for the analysis and helped me build my confidence and skills required to be a good analyst.”

The MSc Football Coaching & Analysis course that Aleks was on includes modules such as Applied Football Match Analysis, Global Sports Leadership, and Analysis of Football Coaching Practice.

“The majority of my lecturers were integral for my development, especially, Danielle Prescott, Connor McGillick and Andrew Raines, those were the people who cared about me during my masters and after my graduation.

“Connor’s analysis lectures were enjoyable and useful, Danielle and Andrew’s endless conversation about the learning material, those moments were pivotal.”

From his course, Aleks told us about the skills he gained that he now uses day-to-day, emphasising the ability to code football matches.

“The platform could be anything from Once Sport to Hudl Sports code, but the principle is the same. 

“Furthermore, the coaching details learned throughout are vital as you know what to observe and what could be the most relevant information to extract from the game.”

Finally, Aleks highlighted his ultimate career goals.

“My long-term ambition is to be part of a senior team, CSKA or the Bulgaria National Team would be a dream come true. On the other hand, I still adore England, thus moving back to England for a club role is still a possibility.”

Graduating with his family and friends in a stadium that millions dream to visit, Aleks labelled the day ‘unforgettable’. Whether it be studying coaching, analysis, or a different sporting discipline altogether, explore our programme offerings to find the perfect fit for you.

Article by Zakaria Anani