Former Spain head coach Roberto Moreno has reportedly been dismissed from his role at Russian club FC Sochi amid concerns over his growing dependence on artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT in managing the team and making key decisions.
The 48-year-old, who took charge of Sochi in 2023, is said to have leaned increasingly on the AI programme during the 2024/2025 campaign, a trend that allegedly unsettled both the club’s leadership and sections of the playing squad.
Sochi were relegated from the Russian Premier League in May 2024 following Moreno’s first season in charge. Although the club later earned promotion back to the top tier, tensions reportedly escalated during their stint in the First League.
According to former sporting director Andrei Orlov, Moreno’s reliance on AI-generated plans often overlooked practical considerations, particularly player welfare.
The Daily Mail reported that Orlov cited a March 2025 trip to FC SKA-Khabarovsk, where a travel and training programme produced with the help of ChatGPT allegedly left players unable to sleep for 28 hours.
“I looked at the presentation and saw that the players couldn’t sleep for 28 hours,” Orlov was quoted as saying. “I asked him when the players were supposed to sleep.”
Although the plan was eventually abandoned, Orlov said the episode added to mounting unease among players, who increasingly questioned early-morning training sessions and what they saw as rigid methods lacking flexibility.
Orlov also disclosed that Moreno turned to ChatGPT during the 2024 summer transfer window to evaluate striking options. The AI reportedly suggested Kazakh forward Artur Shushenachev, who failed to score in 10 appearances before being sold the following summer.
He added that dissatisfaction spread within the dressing room, with both domestic and foreign players losing faith in Moreno’s ideas, citing poor communication and a perceived lack of empathy.
Sochi returned to the Russian Premier League last summer, but Moreno lasted just seven matches in the top flight, collecting only one point before being relieved of his duties.
Club officials reportedly felt Moreno’s increasing reliance on artificial intelligence, rather than human judgement, had drifted away from “common sense,” contributing significantly to his dismissal.
Moreno has previously coached Granada and Monaco and briefly managed the Spanish national team in 2019 after Luis Enrique stepped aside following a family tragedy. He led Spain to qualification for Euro 2020, but Enrique later returned and did not retain him as assistant, accusing him of disloyalty.
What you should know
Roberto Moreno’s exit from FC Sochi highlights the growing debate around the role of artificial intelligence in elite sports management.
While data analytics and AI tools are increasingly used to support decision-making, critics argue that overreliance can undermine human judgement, player welfare, and team dynamics. Football management often requires emotional intelligence, adaptability, and real-time responses that technology alone cannot provide.
Moreno’s case reflects concerns within the sport about balancing innovation with experience, communication, and common sense, particularly in high-pressure environments where player trust and morale are critical to performance.
