Javier Fernández

Javier Fernández

Javier Fernández is a Staff Data Scientist at Zelus Analytics, a leading sports intelligence platform. He previously served as the Head of Sports Analytics at FC Barcelona for over 3 years, working closely with top-level coaches.123

Education and Background

• Holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), where he graduated Cum Laude in 20223
• Earned a Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence from UPC with the highest overall grade3
• Received his Computer Engineering degree from Universidad Simón Bolívar, specializing in Analysis and Design of Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing3
• Spent a year as an exchange student at Uppsala University in Sweden, where he developed his Master's thesis on detecting C. elegans worms in microscope images3

Professional Experience

• Worked as a Lead Data Scientist at FC Barcelona from 2016-2018, applying machine learning for tactical and physical performance analysis using player tracking data3
• Served as Head of Sports Analytics at FC Barcelona from 2018-2021, leading the club's analytics department13
• Currently a Staff Data Scientist at Zelus Analytics, applying advanced data modeling in team sports with a group of leading experts in sports analytics13
• Previously worked as a Backend Team Lead and Developer at Synergy-GB, deploying and maintaining applications used by millions of users3

Awards and Honors

• Received the Cum Laude distinction for his PhD in Artificial Intelligence from UPC3
• Won 1st place in the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Research Papers Competition in 2019 for a soccer paper, the first time a soccer paper received this award3
• Awarded the prize for best overall grade in the Master's Degree in Artificial Intelligence at UPC3
• Placed 3rd in the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Research Papers Competition in 20183

Research Interests

• Modeling spatiotemporal dynamics in soccer to provide interpretable insights12
• Developing advanced data modeling and machine learning techniques for team sports analytics13
• Contributing to the analytics community, including being a founding member of the Friends of Tracking initiative1

Javier Fernández is a pioneer in the field of soccer analytics, with a strong background in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science. His research has been recognized with awards at prestigious conferences like MIT SLOAN and he continues to push the boundaries of sports analytics in his role at Zelus.