Samarth Aggarwal

19th May 2012, an 11-year old me watched a classic underdog story unfold in front of my eyes as Chelsea defy the odds to beat Bayern Munich on penalties at the Allianz Arena to win the club's first ever UEFA Champions League trophy. I quickly became obsessed with the sport of football. ​ That growing obsession with football led me onto the pitch. I started played competitively, captained my school team back in India, and competed at national level — before making the decision to prioritise my studies over pursuing it professionally. I realised very quickly that I was too late to develop the physical and technical foundation football requires, but what I had was something different: a natural ability to read the game, understand structure, and see how things would play out before they fully unfolded. My natural draw was always towards players who could change a game through individual brilliance — Hazard, Messi, Iniesta, Neymar, etc. Watching them shaped a belief I still hold: that the best tactical frameworks are built around the players, not the other way around. Great tactics create space for individuals to express themselves and not suppress them. ​ Why performance analysis? That same instinct for patterns and structure followed me into the classroom. Working with numbers always came naturally to me as well, so 18-year old me figured a finance degree seemed like the logical step to take. However, my first lecture in an introduction to data analytics course at USC changed everything. I spoke to analysts across multiple industries trying to find my direction, until a conversation with an analyst at Seattle Sounders clicked everything together. He introduced me to the field of Football Performance Analysis, which sat at the exact intersection of data and football. The game intelligence I'd developed as a player suddenly had a higher purpose, and I haven't looked back since. ​ What have I done since choosing this as my career? From that moment, I spent all my time gaining knowledge and experience to compete in this field, using the resources at my disposal to learn about every aspect of football analysis - performance analysis, opposition analysis, talent identification, technical scouting, and both the data and video analysis of the game, before undertaking an MSc Sports Performance Analysis degree at Middlesex University, London in September 2025. Simultaneously, I worked on gaining real experience by volunteering and interning at multiple clubs across different countries - starting at USC Men's Soccer Club in Los Angeles, MYJ-GMSC Club & Hyderabad FC in India, and Sutton United Football Club in London, where I've been working as an opposition analyst and performance analyst since November 2025. In a way, it all comes full circle. The game intelligence I developed as a player is now the same lens I bring to coaches and players through my analytical skills. A feeling of passion for the game of football that began in May 2012 has shaped everything since. ​ That growing obsession with football led me onto the pitch. I started played competitively, captained my school team back in India, and competed at national level — before making the decision to prioritise my studies over pursuing it professionally. I realised very quickly that I was too late to develop the physical and technical foundation football requires, but what I had was something different: a natural ability to read the game, understand structure, and see how things would play out before they fully unfolded. My natural draw was always towards players who could change a game through individual brilliance — Hazard, Messi, Iniesta, Neymar, etc. Watching them shaped a belief I still hold: that the best tactical frameworks are built around the players, not the other way around. Great tactics create space for individuals to express themselves and not suppress them. ​ That same instinct for patterns and structure followed me into the classroom. Working with numbers always came naturally to me as well, so 18-year old me figured a finance degree seemed like the logical step to take. However, my first lecture in an introduction to data analytics course at USC changed everything. I spoke to analysts across multiple industries trying to find my direction, until a conversation with an analyst at Seattle Sounders clicked everything together. He introduced me to the field of Football Performance Analysis, which sat at the exact intersection of data and football. The game intelligence I'd developed as a player suddenly had a higher purpose, and I haven't looked back since. ​ From that moment, I spent all my time gaining knowledge and experience to compete in this field, using the resources at my disposal to learn about every aspect of football analysis - performance analysis, opposition analysis, talent identification, technical scouting, and both the data and video analysis of the game, before undertaking an MSc Sports Performance Analysis degree at Middlesex University, London in September 2025. Simultaneously, I worked on gaining real experience by volunteering and interning at multiple clubs across different countries - starting at USC Men's Soccer Club in Los Angeles, MYJ-GMSC Club & Hyderabad FC in India, and Sutton United Football Club in London, where I've been working as an opposition analyst and performance analyst since November 2025. In a way, it all comes full circle. The game intelligence I developed as a player is now the same lens I bring to coaches and players through my analytical skills. A feeling of passion for the game of football that began in May 2012 has shaped everything since.