At this year’s Smart Industry Conference in Zagreb, some of Croatia’s leading voices in technology and business gathered to discuss how digital innovation is shaping the future of the economy. Among them was Ivan Bešlić, Sofascore’s Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, who joined the panel “AI and Data in Sports: How Digital Analysis Changes the Game.”
Organized by Poslovni dnevnik, Smart Industry is the country’s largest multi-platform project dedicated to digital transformation, innovation, and economic growth. This year’s conference, under the theme “Smart Future Today,” brought together experts from technology, business, and public sectors to explore how data and AI are transforming industries – from finance to sports.
From Subjective Opinions to Objective Insights
Speaking on how data reshaped the world of sports, Bešlić reflected on how quickly things have changed.
“About ten years ago, everyone relied on newspapers to see how someone played — and there was a lot of subjectivity in that. Journalists were often called to give certain players a little push,” he said. “With the digital and AI era, we now get more objective information, allowing analysts to make much more objective decisions.”
Ivan Bešlić, Sofascore’s co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer
At the heart of this transformation stands Sofascore, a platform built on the idea of making performance data accessible and objective. What started as a live scores platform has grown into a global sports analytics hub used by millions of fans, analysts, and professionals.
“AI tools give us a quick overview of everything in sports analysis, but the final decision is always human. Sofascore provides objective insights, but interpretation and action remain in people’s hands,” Bešlić explained.
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Data and Human Decision-Making
As data-driven tools become more advanced, Bešlić highlighted that technology should empower people – not replace them.
“Things are changing fast. Even at events like this, I notice that six months make a huge difference in what’s available on the market. We want to restore trust because, in the end, decisions will still be made by people.”
Ivan Bešlić, Sofascore’s co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer
For Bešlić, the balance between objectivity and human perspective is crucial.
“The basic data is objective, but every club has its own vision and perception of how that data fits into their direction,” he said.
This philosophy is also reflected in Sofascore’s Player of the Season award, which has become one of football’s most data-credible recognitions worldwide. “The Sofascore Player of the Season award is a product of those objective data points,” Bešlić added.
Analytics That Saves Time – and Improves Decisions
Alongside Bešlić, football analyst Jasmin Osmanović shared his perspective on how analytics changed the way professionals work.
“From no data to full data – with Sofascore, I now have access to valuable football information that helps me make sound decisions about players. I’d have loved to have a platform like Sofascore when I started. What once took me three days of manual work now takes four seconds,” Osmanović said. “An analyst has to turn all that information into something concrete for the coaches. Today, analysis starts much earlier with young players, and analytics has become essential in preparing them for senior football.”
The Smart Future of Sports Analysis
The Smart Industry Conference once again confirmed that sports analytics is now an inseparable part of the broader digital transformation. Sofascore’s participation in discussions like this reflects its growing influence beyond sports, as a company helping bridge the gap between technology and human insight.
Bešlić’s message was clear: while AI and data can transform how we see the game, it’s people who give meaning to those numbers. And as the technology keeps evolving, Sofascore remains focused on what truly matters – helping the world understand sports more clearly, one data point at a time.