Former Spain national team manager Robert Moreno has reportedly been dismissed after heavily depending on artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT to make key decisions during his time in charge of Russian First League side FC Sochi.
Moreno, 48, parted ways with the club last September after a poor run of results that saw Sochi collect just one point from seven matches. Details of his unusual methods were revealed by the club’s former sporting director, Andrei Orlov, who claimed the coach leaned on AI for training plans, travel schedules, and even player recruitment.
According to Orlov, Moreno strictly followed a schedule generated by ChatGPT ahead of an away fixture in Khabarovsk. The plan reportedly required players to remain awake for 28 consecutive hours and train at 7 a.m., two days before the match.
“When we were preparing for the trip, Robert said he had everything figured out and had entered all the parameters into ChatGPT,” Orlov told Sports Russia. “I looked at the plan and saw the players weren’t supposed to sleep for 28 hours. I asked him, ‘That’s fine, but when will they sleep?’”
Players were said to be confused by the early wake-up times and intense schedule. Orlov also noted that Moreno failed to consult defender Oleg Kozhemyakin, who had previous experience playing in Khabarovsk and could have offered insight into local conditions.
Moreno’s reliance on AI reportedly extended to transfer decisions. During the summer window, he allegedly fed performance data of three striker targets into ChatGPT. The system recommended Artur Shushenachev, who was subsequently signed but failed to score in 10 appearances.
Orlov described AI as a useful supplementary tool but suggested Moreno made it one of his primary decision-makers. He added that dissatisfaction grew within the squad, with both domestic and foreign players losing confidence in the coach’s ideas.
Moreno previously served as Spain’s interim manager before taking the role permanently in 2019 after Luis Enrique stepped down due to personal reasons. However, his stint in Russia ended in disappointment, with Sochi suffering relegation from the top flight during his tenure.
