6/6/2023 0 Comments Sports head soccer euro![]() To Beane, it shows that the data analysis methods he used in baseball were transferrable to other sports - something that was proved when he answered Eenhoorn's call. They need four points to guarantee European football once more. Yet with three games of the domestic campaign remaining, AZ are well placed to secure their fifth top-four Eredivisie finish in six seasons. London Stadium has a 62,500 capacity compared to AZ's AFAS Stadium, which holds 19,500.ĭomestically, eight Dutch clubs have a bigger ground than AZ, who are dwarfed by Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord. West Ham's wage bill was £128.45m, compared to AZ's £14.13m (16.2m euros). To the summer of 2021, West Ham's total revenue was £192.1m, compared to AZ's £19m (21.08m euros). It is not only a great football story, it is a great business story."ĪZ are used to operating on a lower budget - and with a smaller infrastructure - than their rivals, both at home and in Europe. ![]() "The process and consistency they have had is one of the best untold stories in sports. "I am proud to be associated with them," said Beane. The pair became friends through the baseball circuit and when Eenhoorn was appointed general director of AZ in 2014, he asked Beane to help. In 2020, he bought a 5% stake in AZ, having acted as an adviser to them for the previous five years.Īnd earlier this year, he gave a fascinating insight into both his methods and his thoughts about AZ Alkmaar in a speech to the European Clubs' Association general assembly in Budapest.īeane's connection to AZ comes through Robert Eenhoorn, a Dutchman who played four seasons in Major League Baseball. He pioneered the use of statistical data to turn around the fortunes of Major League Baseball team Oakland Athletics, with his methods since applied to other teams in both baseball and football. He has an association with AZ going back nearly a decade. And according to Billy Beane, the Dutch side are "one of the best untold stories in sports".īeane - the real-life inspiration for Brad Pitt's character in the movie Moneyball - should know. West Ham's push for a first European final in 47 years is about to come up against Mr Moneyball himself.ĪZ Alkmaar face the Hammers in the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final on Thursday. AZ Alkmaar beat Anderlecht to reach the Europa Conference League semi-final
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