Spanish Coach Sacked Over Excessive AI Use

Spanish coach Roberto Moreno was dismissed from Russian Premier League club FC Sochi on 1 September, ending a tenure that had sparked curiosity and controversy. More than four months after his departure, details have emerged of a highly unusual accusation: Moreno allegedly relied on ChatGPT for almost every managerial decision, from team selection to substitutions. The club cited his over-dependence on artificial intelligence as one of the primary reasons for his sacking.

Moreno, 48, is a familiar figure in Spanish football. He briefly managed the Spain national team in 2019 and previously held coaching roles at Barcelona. His time at FC Sochi came to an abrupt end after the club languished near the bottom of the league table in the 2023–24 season.

According to Spanish daily Diario AS and BeIN Sports, citing an interview with FC Sochi’s former general director Andrei Orlov, Moreno turned ChatGPT into a “primary working tool.” Orlov explained that the AI chatbot was used in daily operations, including deciding starting line-ups, planning substitutions, and even creating travel itineraries for the squad.

One particularly long trip involved the city of Khabarovsk. Orlov recalled, “Roberto said everything was planned using ChatGPT.” The AI-generated schedule required players to remain awake for a continuous 28 hours. Although minor adjustments were made after concerns were raised, the original AI plan largely went ahead. Orlov remarked, “I asked him, ‘All right, but when will the players sleep?’”

Moreno’s use of AI extended to transfer market decisions. To strengthen the attack, he considered players Vladimir Pisarsky, Pavel Meleshin, and Artur Shushenachev. Data from scouting platforms such as Wyscout was fed into ChatGPT, which was tasked with recommending the optimal signing. The club ultimately recruited Shushenachev from Kazakhstan, but the signing did not yield the desired impact: in the 2024–25 season, he scored just 2 goals and provided 2 assists in 13 appearances. He currently plays for FC Aktobe in Kazakhstan.

FC Sochi’s poor start to the current season—only 1 point from 7 matches—precipitated Moreno’s dismissal. Orlov commented, “ChatGPT is a supportive tool, of course. But Moreno had made it central to all his managerial duties.”

Moreno previously served as assistant to Luis Enrique at Roma (2011–12) and Barcelona (2014–17) before joining Spain’s national team in 2018. He briefly held the head coach role in 2019, guiding Spain to the final stages of Euro 2020 qualifiers, before Enrique returned and removed him from the coaching staff, branding him “untrustworthy” and “overambitious.”

Selected Player Performance Under Moreno (2024–25 Season)

Moreno’s tenure has ignited a debate in football circles about the role of AI in coaching: when does it remain a helpful assistant, and when does it supplant the human expertise essential for team management?