Building Through the Chaos: Lessons from 2025
Reflections on football, data, identity and building slow in a fast world.
Introduction
As the year ends, most of us start looking ahead: new goals, big dreams, fresh plans.
But before stepping forward, it helps to pause and look back. Not just at what happened, but at what it taught us.
In this piece, I’m sharing some reflections from 2025, technical, professional, and personal. Lessons I learned the hard way, ideas that might help someone else, and a few resources if you’re on a similar path.
If you’re building something slow, uncertain, or deeply personal. I hope this resonates.
⚽ Football Findings: Lessons from a Year of Data and Doubt
Between February and April, I went through a tough stretch personally and professionally.
At the time, I felt like I earned paid opportunities just because I was building similarity algorithms and plotting some actions. But with hindsight, I can admit: technically, I was saying very little.
That period forced me to grow. After working on more complex projects, I realized how much I still had to learn, especially when it comes to framing problems properly. Similarity models are fine, but is that what a team actually needs? That question changed everything for me.
It’s what led me to shift toward KPI work and to start building metrics not just for presentation, but from a footballing perspective I believe in. Before you can adapt things for a team’s needs, you need a strong baseline grounded in how you see the game.
Along the way, I learned something else: plotting and visualizations are great, but they aren’t the end goal. They should accompany your insights not replace them. Reading more about how data professionals think helped me realize that “why” matters more than “what”.
That clicked when I heard Como’s President talk about Cesc Fàbregas working with data people at Como. He said that sometimes, even when the data doesn’t like a player, he knows he can get more out of him. That kind of domain experience matters. And it reminded me: as data people, we need to be open-minded not defensive.
There’s this old tension between analysts and managers, especially when coaches make decisions that go against the numbers. But I’ve come to appreciate how much knowledge lives in experience and how it’s not a war to be right, but a collaboration to build better outcomes.
Take Allegri, for example. I used to underestimate him, partly because he seemed to “overperform” against the data. But this season, seeing him bring Milan into the Scudetto race, I had to admit: he made some sharp moves that weren’t exactly data-backed.
Bringing back Saelemaekers, trusting Modrić, even the use of Rabiot, I can see the logic, even if I wouldn’t have predicted it. Meanwhile, a player like Estupiñán, who I thought was a bargain, hasn’t looked great.
These experiences have taught me to balance technical confidence with humility. Football is chaotic, messy, and often irrational but that’s what makes working in this space so addictive.
🛠️ Technical Findings: From Spreadsheets to Real Solutions
The best part of this work is often what people see last, the predictions, player ratings, the final insights. But one of the most underrated (and important) parts is what happens before: the pipeline.
For years, I avoided that.
I’d jump straight into the data, run some notebooks, maybe export to a spreadsheet, and call it a day. But the truth is: real progress comes when you treat your work like a product not a project.
Instead of rerunning API calls every time or storing things locally, I’ve started building proper workflows and tools that are repeatable, clean, and efficient. Learning how to structure your data pipeline, how to extract, transform, and load (ETL) your data, is the first step toward building something sustainable.
🧰 Whether it’s local scripts, cloud servers, or public dashboards, the key is this:
Think in terms of products, not notebooks.
What are you building? Who is it for? Can others use it?
That shift changed everything for me.
⚙️ Learning to Think Like a Builder
Learning to code is great but learning to think like a builder is even better.
Understanding MLOps practices (even the basics), thinking in terms of deployment, hosting your own tools these are not just “nice to haves.” They’re the difference between being a practitioner and being a professional.
Want to work with top teams?
You need to master the basics:
Clean ETL pipelines
Version-controlled code
Scheduled updates
Hosting solutions for others to explore
Even simple apps or dashboards, when done well, show that you’re serious.
🧠 AI, Storytelling & Set Pieces: Some Personal Lessons
AI is growing fast. And yes, it can be overwhelming.
But don’t panic, use it as leverage, not a crutch. Remember: you are the one steering it. You need to guide the output, challenge it, and make it fit your context. Stay curious, stay sharp, and keep up with the trends while filtering out the noise.
One regret I’ve had this year was not capitalizing sooner on set pieces.
I worked on a set-piece recruitment model 2 years ago with AZ and it had real potential. But I didn’t fully lean into it. I waited too long, held back by personal doubts or blocks.
If I had turned that into a product or public tool sooner, who knows where that path might have led?
🧪 Keep a Student’s Mind
Some of the best advice I’ve received this year didn’t come from within football, it came from friends in other industries, people who think in systems, build startups, or ship products daily. Their mindset helped me level up.
The lesson: always stay a student.
Be humble, ask questions, stay curious.
And if you’re just starting?
I put together a free learning guide on Medium and shared more free resources between September–December 2024 here on Substack. They’re still relevant and can help anyone looking to break into this space.
🧠 Personal Reflection: The Year That Tested Me
2025 was, without question, the hardest year I’ve had since 2017.
Back then, it was personal and educational setbacks mixed with football disappointments (yes, Inter being bad genuinely affects my mood, I know, I’m that kind of football fan).
But this year, the struggle hit differently. It wasn’t just external. It was mental. It was about identity. It was the quiet, persistent weight of feeling left behind.
I watched friends win and I mean really win.
New jobs. Promotions. Cars. Some even got married. And I was happy for them, honestly. But that didn’t stop the internal voice that kept asking: “What am I doing with my life?”
There were days I felt completely useless. Like I’d made a mistake chasing football analytics. Like I was just... stuck.
📈 Small Wins, Short-Lived Highs
This year, I got my first paid projects in football analytics and for a moment, it felt unreal.
Getting paid to work on something you actually care about? That hits different. Not just for the money, but because you want the thing to work. You want it to mean something.
But as quickly as it started, it ended. No next contract. No smooth path forward. Just quiet.
My friends were getting promoted, buying cars, getting engaged.
I was… recalibrating.
Trying to figure out if I’m building something real or just clinging to a dream because I’m scared to let go.
I’m 27. I’m broke.
And I’m still chasing this thing that feels both fragile and essential at the same time.
It’s not romantic. It’s not easy. But I’ve made peace with it.
I’ve learned to be more flexible. To take part-time jobs when I need to.
To do whatever I can to fund the work I believe in even when it makes no sense on paper.
😶🌫️ Identity, Silence & Small Talk
One of the toughest parts this year was social.
Meeting up with friends, people I love, but all the conversations were about jobs, titles, achievements, not out of arrogance, just part of their reality. Still, I couldn’t relate. And I didn’t feel seen.
I don’t usually open up much.
I keep my preferences, even the way I see football, close to my chest. But this year taught me that bottling up everything only isolates you more.
⚽ Reclaiming Emotion in Football and Life
I felt like I was slowly becoming robotic, not fully committing, not fully expressing. Always in that “neutral” zone emotionally, never too high or too low. But inside, I was struggling.
What changed?
I started embracing my emotional side again.
I stopped acting like detachment was a strength. I let myself feel the beauty of football again, the small passes, the clever movements, the chaos of it all. And I tried to carry that into life too. (You should have seen me in the semi-final against Barcelona.)
I realized that being “cool” or nonchalant isn’t noble if it means hiding your joy or your pain.
This year, I started allowing myself to speak more honestly, stand up for myself, and call out bad treatment when I felt it. Not aggressively, just clearly.
I started to celebrate small wins.
And I allowed myself to mourn small losses too, without shame.
❤️ Key Realisation
If you have family who love you unconditionally tell them. Thank them.
One of the most healing moments I had this year came from opening up to my family. It didn’t solve everything, but it gave me something deeper: perspective.
And if you have friends who support you, not the ones who put you down or make you feel small, but the ones who are honest with you while rooting for you, treasure them. Be there for them. Check on them. Say thank you.
It might sound “cringe” to some, but honestly, gratitude is powerful. It grounds you.
We spend so much time trying to be cool, unbothered, in control but the truth is, time passes either way. So you might as well live with intention. Say what matters. Express yourself to the people who matter.
And no, I’m not saying follow your emotions blindly. Emotional control is a strength.
But don’t become a robot either.
Be like a proper winger or a classic number 10, expressive, intentional, creative.
Don’t become the kind of player you wouldn’t want to watch.
⏩ Next Steps
I’m not pivoting away. I still want to work in a top football environment, ideally in Europe’s top leagues, especially where there’s passion, pressure, and a chance to make an impact. And who knows? Maybe one day, even a career in management.
But time is moving. People are gaining experience, earning money, stacking credentials and I can’t keep self-sabotaging.
So maybe 2026 becomes a reset year. A chance to build broader experience in data science, secure more stability, and re-enter football with stronger foundations, clearer focus, and better tools.
On the emotional side...
I’ve decided to stop engaging with material success stories online, even from friends. Not because I don’t wish them well, I genuinely do but because it was hurting my mental health.
Some “gurus” say to use that discomfort as fuel. I’ve tried. It doesn’t work. It just makes you feel even more behind, more stuck, more alone.
So now, I’m choosing something different. I want genuine things, not fast validation. I want to live more for myself and trust my inner voice, because when I do, I find clarity.
There’s a quote from a character I really connect with that hit differently this year:
“What matters is to decide for myself at all times.
I’ve realised not to listen to other people but to my own voice and have faith in my abilities.”
When I came across that again during a really low point, it gave me goosebumps. It’s stayed with me ever since and quietly shaped how I think and move forward.
This isn’t a war of ideologies. Everyone has their path. Everyone has their own battles.
So:
Be kind to others, even if they don’t see things your way.
And just as importantly, be kind to yourself.
You’re doing your best.
And this is your first time living this life.
🎙️ The Takeaway
This isn’t a success story. And it’s not a call for pity either.
It’s just a checkpoint. A moment to speak honestly to anyone out there building something slow, uncertain, and deeply personal.
If that’s you, I see you.
You’re not alone.
Keep going.
Even if you’re broke.
Even if you feel behind.
Even if you’re the only one clapping for yourself right now.
2025 tested me. But it also gave me clarity.
And I’m still here. Still building. Still believing.
I’m not giving up.
🌱 Support the Journey And Grow With It
If you’ve made it this far, thank you. Your time and attention mean a lot.
If you’d like to support my work, you can explore my Payhip store for exclusive resources I’ve created to help others break into football analytics. You can also check out the free starter guide on Medium, or revisit some of my earlier Substack posts, which are packed with tools and insights I wish I had when I started.
In the beginning, I focused on sharing everything I learned. Lately, I’ve shifted toward showing more of my own work but the mission remains the same: grow the game, and give back to the community.
If you’re working on something, need advice, or just want to connect, you’re always welcome to reach out. And if you know of opportunities where my work could fit, I’m open.
This journey is slow, but meaningful.
And if anything I’ve shared has helped or resonated with you, your support helps me keep going.
Let’s keep building, learning, and shaping the future of football analytics together.