Who is Bobby Gardiner, the data enthusiast set to become AC Milan’s new chief scout?

Bobby Gardiner’s name has emerged in recent hours in connection with developments inside the AC Milan set-up. Although he may be unfamiliar to many, he is in fact a figure who has been working with the Rossoneri since 2019.

He joined Milan as a sporting recruitment analyst - a data analyst focused on identifying new players - and, according to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio, is now in line for a promotion to chief scout from next season. So who exactly is Bobby Gardiner?

Who is Bobby Gardiner? A data obsessive
The simplest answer to the question “Who is Bobby Gardiner?” is this: a genuine data enthusiast. British and born in 1994, Gardiner was involved from a young age with English sports websites, writing about football through the lens of data and numbers while studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Durham University.

Many of his articles focused on Swansea City, the club he grew up supporting. His work in analytics brought him on to the radar of Hendrik Almstadt, who was brought to Milan in 2019 by former chief executive Ivan Gazidis to lead data analysis across the club’s football operations.

Almstadt brought Gardiner with him, and the analyst went on to earn praise from The Athletic - alongside colleagues Ben Torvaney and Tiago Estêvão - as one of the key pieces in the Rossoneri’s resurgence, which culminated in the 2022 Scudetto triumph.

Who is Bobby Gardiner? Promotion and philosophy
As mentioned, Gardiner is set to take on a broader role from next season. He is currently Head of Performance Analytics at AC Milan, as Matteo Moretto has pointed out, but is expected to be promoted to head up the club’s scouting department. That means Milan’s recruitment will increasingly be driven by a strong emphasis on data analysis.

According to Moretto, Gardiner has already been involved in the calls held in recent days by Gerry Cardinale, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Giorgio Calvelli with sporting director candidates, particularly Markus Krösche and Devin Özek. That suggests he is set to play a leading role in this new era at Milan.

In a 2023 interview with StatsBomb, a site he had previously worked with, Gardiner said he had been “incredibly fortunate to work for AC Milan for over four years”. In the same interview, he offered a glimpse into his scouting philosophy and the role of data analysis.

“I am on my knees begging for someone to prove not only that coaches matter, but that they can matter more than players. And I cannot wait for spatial data to become more accessible for scouting and player recruitment.”

Considering the role he is now expected to take on at Milan next season, it may be fair to say that his dream is close to coming true.