Hudl Performance Insights 2026

Gaizka is a household name in domestic and international football. His session, "A Legend's Lens" will explore the preparation and analysis required to perform at the top level, drawing on his career with clubs like Valencia, Lazio, and Barcelona, and as a two-time Champions League finalist.

Leander is a Match Analyst and Data Scientist at 1. Bundesliga team TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. With a PhD from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, he combines practical experience with academic research, having published over 15 scientific papers on data-driven match analysis and scouting.

Lee is Founder and Managing Director at MUD Analytics, helping football clubs make faster, aligned decisions. With a decade in elite football strategy, he has contributed to three 100+ point league campaigns and formerly held senior roles at Manchester City and City Football Group, Barclays, and Deloitte.

Lotte holds a PhD in Computer Science from KU Leuven. Her PhD focused on developing data science methods that better capture the technical, tactical, and mental aspects that affect performance of (female) football players. Prior to starting her doctoral studies she worked at football data science company SciSports.

Ben is Head of Recruitment at Newcastle United Football Club Women, progressing from a performance analyst into Head of Analysis roles to integrate video, data, and scouting across elite men's and women's football. He established the club's analysis and recruitment department and holds an MSc in Sports Directorship.

Ben is a Professional Footballer at Wrexham AFC, bringing elite experience from Arsenal and Coventry City, where he was club captain and reached an FA Cup Semi-Final.

With over 200 senior appearances to his name, he'll share his experiences in an interview titled "The Player's Perspective".

Interviewing Ben will be Caroline Barker, leading broadcaster (Sky Sports, BBC).

Caroline is a trailblazing presenter leading coverage across the WSL, EFL, and Soccer Saturday. With extensive experience hosting World Cups and the Olympics for the BBC, she also serves as a Director at Chelmsford City Football Club.

Chris is Head of Football Analysis and Data Innovation at Adelaide Football Club. With over 16 years experience in elite AFL and cross-industry exposure across Formula 1, Football, and Rugby, he leads the opposition analysis, game-trends, and intelligence systems underpinning the club's strategy.

Rhianna is Performance Analyst at Republic of Ireland Women's National Team, providing analysis and player talent identification to help the team achieve their highest ever FIFA ranking. She previously led the analysis provision at Brighton & Hove Albion as they recorded their highest-ever WSL finish, with additional experience with Watford and England.

featuring:

• Head of Analysis at a WSL Club

• Club Consultant at a leading Analytics Consultancy

• Director of Data & Technology at a Multi-Club Group

• Director of Performance & Operations at a WSL Club

Darren is Director of Performance at Juventus Football Club, bringing decades of elite athlete performance expertise. He has held senior high-performance roles at Arsenal, Liverpool, and Football Australia, and holds a PhD in movement analysis and has had multiple papers published in peer review journals.

Martin has over 20 years of experience in elite sports science, having held senior roles at PSG, Olympique Lyonnais, Lille, Aspetar, and more. He has authored over 250 scientific papers with his mission to bridge the gap between research and real-world practice and performance.

Jo is Founder at Global Performance Insights, delivering comprehensive sports science support to teams and governing bodies worldwide. She brings extensive applied expertise from her time with Chelsea FC, Brighton & Hove Albion, the Buffalo Sabres, and the Buffalo Bills.

Dr. Tom Allen is a Performance Strategist with 15 years of experience in elite football. Most recently the Head of Sport Science & Performance at Arsenal, his doctorate explored integrating physical and tactical information to optimise high-performance strategy.

Andrew is the founder of Athletic Data Innovations (ADI), brought into the Hudl umbrella in October 2025. He has spent decades researching the biomechanics of multidirectional movement, quantifying the true demands placed on athletes to provide teams with a complete picture of workload, movement patterns, and performance.

Mathieu Lacome is Performance Director at reigning Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. Formerly of Parma Calcio 1913 and the French Rugby Federation, he drives PSG's data-informed innovation, integrating analytics into key decision-making and supporting the club’s long-term development vision.

Darcy is a high-performance leader in professional soccer, specialising in player health, performance, and team culture. He has previous experience with FC Bayern, the DFB, AS Roma and the USMNT and has a background in physical therapy, strength and conditioning, sports science, and leadership. Darcy integrates innovation with tradition to drive continual improvement across multidisciplinary teams in elite sport environments.

Nick is the Head of Athletic Performance & Science for the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). He oversees the delivery of athletic performance and sports science across the national and provincial teams, and is the acclaimed author of The Language of Coaching: The Art & Science of Teaching Movement.

Mauro is Head of Research and Development at Paris Saint-Germain. Formerly Head of Sports Science at Parma Calcio, he holds a PhD in Human Movement and Sport Sciences and has published extensively on performance analysis, training load, and machine learning.

Jack is a performance leader with almost two decades of experience across elite football, including Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Celtic, RB Leipzig and most recently Everton, where he served as Head of First Team Sports Science. His career has progressed from technical specialist to senior leadership roles spanning multidisciplinary performance teams, organisational development and multi-club systems. His current focus is on decision-making and organisational complexity in high-performance environments.

Mark is a veteran of the football analytics space. He writes the popular Get Goalside newsletter, providing a running commentary on the industry, and is a data software engineer at Twenty3 Sports, developing products for clubs and media.