The Book of Scouting

📺@nicola_innocentin ’s views about @comparisonator CEO @tarkanbatgun ‘s book: #thebookofscouting : #nicolainnoncentin “I’m pleased to share my review of this outstanding scouting masterpiece, written by my dear friend Tarkan Batgun who is also a respected professional in the football industry as well founder of Comparisonator. Here is the link to know more about the book 📕⚽️ and order it : thebookofscouting.com “

After 2.5 years of hard work my book "The Book of Scouting Volume One - From Intuition to Evidence is finally on the shelves of Amazon. The book is the result of years of belief, support, challenge, guidance, friendship and shared work. If this book exists, it is because of the people whose names follow, each of whom has left a permanent mark on my journey. First and foremost, my deepest gratitude to Dr. Erkut Sogut, who encouraged me for more than five years to compile this book. Without his persistence, belief and constant reminders, I would never have found the time or the courage to complete it. This book offers a clear and structured view of how modern football decisions are actually made. It combines insights from top professionals across the game with a simple but powerful framework around live scouting, video, data, and context. What stands out is how it moves beyond “is the player good?” and focuses on understanding why a player fits — or doesn’t — within a specific environment. The role of AI is also explained in a very practical way, showing how it supports decision-making by translating data into more understandable and actionable insights rather than replacing human judgment. Thanks to my dear business partner Furkan Yağız. Without you standing beside me and believing in @comparisonator we would never have become a worldwide company. And surely my mum Aysel Batgün, my dear wife @yaseminbatgun and my daughter Aybige. To the entire Comparisonator Team, past and present. This platform and this book stand on your shoulders, @didem_dilmen @tarikberkgursel @taskemaltas to our great supporters @enesilter11 I& Deniz Torun, @orhunpouralizadeh & Mesut Numanoğlu. Many thanks to Christophe Daum & @rudiverkempinck teaching me the foundations of football. Thanks to book publishers: @_thefootballweek_ , and their angels Ali Afzhal Khan & Luis. Thanks to @matteo_campodonico & his family of Wyscout people. Thanks to my life time mates: Nico, Dudás Hunor, Steven Vanharen, Gábor Horváth, Derek Bragg, Markus Mack, Erden Or, Marco Ybarra, Said Bagirov

The Book of Scouting website is now alive: bookofscouting.com After years of work, collaboration and conversations with leading professionals across global football, the project now has its own home. This is not only a book. It is a collection of perspectives, systems, and decision-making frameworks built together with contributors from across the football world, from club executives and sporting directors to scouts, agents and analysts. We would like to thank all contributors who shared their experience and helped shape what has become a true reference point for modern scouting and recruitment. As the CEO of @comparisonator , the book is Written by me. It brings together football knowledge, data, and real-world decision-making into one unified structure together with fantastic real life scenarios from 30 Presidents, Sports Directors, Chief Scouts, Head Coaches and part of main stream International Media professionals. Special thanks to The Football Week for their work in bringing this project to life. This is only the beginning. #TheBookOfScouting #TarkanBatgun #comparisonator

Brought to you by The @bookofscouting - powered by @football.conference.baku - @comparisonator CEO @tarkanbatgun has analysed the best U23 Talents from Finland Veikkausliiga. Make sure to logon to comparisonator.com website to view much detailed recruitment analysis. Football Conference Baku will be held in Baku Azerbaijan on 6-7 June 2026. Make sure to visit bookofscouting.com for details… #comparisonator #footballconferencebaku #thebookofscouting

What does modern scouting look like inside one of Europe’s biggest clubs? @comparisonator interviewed Riccardo Polacco, Chief Scout of Olympique de Marseille about The Book of Scouting written by Tarkan Batgun, during the fantastic Football Forum Hungary in Budapest. Riccardo is one of the brightest young scouting leaders in European football. Riccardo Polacco says: “Scouting is a special world. Continuous evolution exists. The Book of Scouting covers all this and I am glad to be part of it. Scouts like us but also football experts, managers, agencies and club executives should read it.” Riccardo’s journey from Vicenza and Triestina to Monza and now to Olympique de Marseille reflects how quickly modern football is evolving. Working across different football cultures in Italy, England and France, he represents a new generation of scouts who combine live observation, video analysis, data intelligence and long-term strategic thinking. Our conversation focused not only on finding talent, but on building scouting structures that can survive pressure, scale globally and make better decisions over time. In The Book of Scouting, author Tarkan Batgun asked the following questions (All answers are in the book): 1 - At Olympique de Marseille, you inherited a department with strong traditions but growing modern needs. What was your first priority when reshaping the scouting structure? 2 - Your progression from Vicenza and Triestina to roles at Monza and Olympique de Marseille has been remarkably fast. What principles or habits have allowed you to adapt so effectively at higher levels of the game? 3 - Having worked in both Italy and England before moving to France, how do scouting cultures differ across these environments and what did you bring from each into your current role? 4 - When evaluating a player’s potential, which indicators, technical, physical, psychological or contextual, do you consider most reliable for forecasting long-term growth? 5 - What skills do you believe the next generation will be complete #thebookofscouting #tarkanbatgun Visit: bookofscouting.com for more details

Powered by The Book of Scouting – Volume One, written by @tarkanbatgun and @football.conference.baku (FCB), Comparisonator presents the Best Austrian Youth Players, based on our AI recruitment analysis. Please explore our latest analysis here, registration details for FCB on 6-7 June in Baku Azerbaijan and more about The Book of Scouting Volume One: comparisonator.com Football Conference Baku, organized by QOLAT Sport Services & Football Agency in cooperation with official partners Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan, Comparisonator, Acibadem Sports Academy and DJEVO Sport, aims to bring together local and international football professionals to discuss the evolving landscape of modern football. About The Book of Scouting – Volume One Comprehensive exploration of how professional football clubs evaluate players, build recruitment structures, and make decisions in an era where human judgment and artificial intelligence must coexist. Great thanks to @said.baghirov for and his valuable team to bring this great event to live.. #FootballConferenceBaku2026 #TheBookofScouting #comparisonator

Bugün, Cumartesi günü saat 18.00’de @comparisonatort ile Trabzonspor - Galatasaray Maç Önü Analizi @tarkanbatgun ve @bulent.tuzz ün yorumları ile canlı yayında @sportstvcomtr de

As we move closer to @footballforumhungary 2026, the importance of shared knowledge, collaboration, and innovation in football has never been greater. In this short example, @tarkanbatgun walks through a Slovakia U23 player pool using Comparisonator — focusing on how we approach performance evaluation, role context, and decision-making in a structured way. This is not just about identifying talent. It’s about understanding where a player fits, what protects performance, and how decisions can be made with greater clarity. These are exactly the types of discussions we look forward to in Budapest — where football continues to evolve through the exchange of ideas and perspectives. In the mean while, The horizon is calling—don’t miss your chance to gather, share ideas, and connect with the global football community. We thank to @jan____86 for the fantastic FC DAC jersey. We send our best wishes to Hunor Dudás + @deaky_croca_sugar + @horvathgabi92 and of course entire organisation of @thepathsm & event management for such fantastic event #comparisonator #footballforumhungary2026 #BestOfSlovakiaU23 🔍 Explore the Full Analysis: comparisonator.com 🎟️ Secure Your Spot (Book Tickets Now): footballforumhungary.com

Our CEO @tarkanbatgun provided an interview to Koen Van Uytvange, famous journalist from @nieuwsblad : How artificial intelligence is also making its rise in football: “What used to take hours, AI can do in seconds” Artificial intelligence — football is not escaping it either. In fact, it is already being used to recruit players. We had the opportunity to use a leading AI platform @comparisonator , ran players such as Christos Tzolis and Nathan De Cat through the system, and spoke with the CEO of Comparisonator Tarkan Batgun. He says: “Christoph Daum and Verkempinck, Rudi were my mentors.” When you click on the web link, you will find the answers, provided by Artificial Intelligence. No, they do not come from ChatGPT. They come from Comparisonator, an AI tool designed for player recruitment. What does Comparisonator do? It pulls in every possible data point, scores players on all those parameters, and creates rankings. “Was it the first goal? How difficult was the finish? How good was the pass he received? All those numbers are processed. Each league also has its own weighting. The Belgian league is not on the same level as the English one. And a cup match against a fourth‑tier team is not the same as a game against Club Brugge.” The inspiration for Tarkan Batgun’s AI model dates back to 2013, when he worked at Bursaspor in Türkiye as Director. The head coach was Christoph Daum, who had just left Club Brugge. “I consider Daum, and his assistant Rudi Verkempinck, as my mentors,” Batgun says. “They wanted every proposed player to be evaluated. So that’s how we started” Batgun eventually launched his own company. “In 2021, we began training Artificial Intelligence. We had to teach the AI where it was wrong and which parameters were off. We taught it how to read data and translate it into human language. Now, five years later, one press of a button, and Comparisonator gives you a complete scouting report on any player, in 32 different languages.” Details are in comparisonator.com company news section #comparisonator #nieuwsblad #artificialintelligence

⚽️ @comparisonator is now used by more than 178 teams, agencies, and TV channels globally. Today, our technology experts answer the most commonly asked questions about how we are changing the game. All the answers are in this 3-minute video, delivered by our family members: Tarkan Batgun What makes Comparisonator Different? @didem_dilmen Dilmen Can I search and find suitable players? Özgür Akın Can Comparisonator predict performance in another league? Furkan Yağız Is Comparisonator the most COST-CONVENIENT platform in the market? Tarık Berk Gürsel Can Comparisonator predict future potential of players? #comparisonator #changingthegame

🧿 @comparisonator Analysis by Tarkan Batgun : 4 Names for your 2026 Transfer Shortlist from Argentina 🕵️‍♂️⚽🇦🇷 Argentina’s production line never stops. We’ve analyzed the 2025 season so far and identified 4 “Rising Stars” under the age of 23 who are dominating their positions. From a center-back who disruptions opposition play with elite interception rates to a clinical striker outperforming his xG, these are the players our AI is flagging for the next big move. Check on our web site’s news section to understand full analysis: #comparisonator #tarkanbatgun