In elite soccer, success isn’t measured solely on the field. The fan experience, operational efficiency, and the ability to anticipate decisions are also at stake. In this context, Atlético de Madrid has been advancing its technological transformation for years, positioning the club among Europe’s leaders in applying innovation to sports. 

The key to the club’s evolution is the idea that technology is not an add-on, but a structural pillar of the business model. “At our club, there has been a very clear commitment to investing in technology since the move to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano,” explains René Abril Martín, director of technology and digital development at Atlético de Madrid. 

That turning point marked the beginning of a strategy in which digital became part of the objectives for each season. “The initial investment in technology at the stadium and the club’s intention—based on the idea that the digital experience would also accompany our fans and visitors not only during soccer matches but also at all other events hosted by our stadium—was key at that time. Since then, technology and digital development have been part of our goals for every season,” he notes.

Fans are the heart of the club 

Atlético de Madrid’s technology strategy has a clear priority: the fan. “All our priorities revolve around their experience, which must always be excellent. They are the heart of Atlético de Madrid, and also our engine of growth,” explains Abril.

That vision is combined with other internal priorities, such as operational efficiency, network security, and technological support for the ESG strategy. “We are currently focused on strengthening network security, something as basic as it is key. All our services—both for the user and employee experience—run on our multiservice network,” he explains. In that regard, he emphasizes that the robustness of the network is critical to sustaining the digital experience.

In this new reality, data has become a fundamental asset. “The amount of data generated daily at an elite club is enormous. Every interaction in a digital environment generates data, and analyzing that data helps us better understand what is happening and, therefore, how to further improve the experience,” he adds.

From the smart stadium to the connected stadium 

In recent years, many clubs have talked about the smart stadium. However, Abril focuses on a different layer. “I like to think that the connected stadium is key and a preliminary step, because it is based on infrastructure,” he states.

For Atlético de Madrid, that foundation is critical in a high-density environment. “Without a well-designed, secure infrastructure capable of scaling to meet the ever-increasing connectivity needs of services, this is impossible to implement in a venue with more than 70,000 connected people,” he maintains.

Atlético de Madrid

The priority is clear and operational: ensuring performance during critical moments. “Our number one priority is that our networks can handle those spikes in demand. That during those moments, connectivity is ensured not only for end users and fans but also for critical services, such as staff, operations, and food and beverage,” he explains. “Everything else comes second.”

Riyadh Air Metropolitano: Infrastructure ready for a new era 

The most visible evolution of this strategy is the technological modernization project for the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in partnership with HPE Networking, which will be carried out in two phases during the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons. For the club, it’s not just about updating technology. “We want to offer the best experience to our fans. We feel we’ve been providing optimal communications at our stadium for years, but at the same time we want to incorporate all the advancements that networking technology has brought since its opening in 2017,” he explains. 

These years have allowed the club to identify and plan use cases that were difficult to implement with technology from 10 years ago and that HPE’s solutions now offer. “The first is understanding the network. The HPE Networking Central tools and the information they provide to our engineers and administrators are amazing. Even the capabilities that the artificial intelligence included in this platform brings will help us understand aspects of the network that weren’t even in our original requirements, but that will be crucial for improvement.”

The deployment includes the renewal of the wireless infrastructure with more than 1,500 access points and the incorporation of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 technologies. “They will offer us much greater capacity and stability in an environment with many devices connected simultaneously. Reduced latency is another benefit fans will enjoy with the new deployment,” explains Abril. The goal is to improve the real-time experience, especially during peak demand.

For HPE, the approach is structural. “When we tackle the technological upgrade of a stadium like the Riyadh Air Metropolitan, we’re not just talking about replacing equipment, but about redesigning the digital infrastructure that will underpin the entire venue experience in the coming years,” notes Álvaro Morán, director of HPE Networking. To achieve this, Morán adds, “it incorporates automatic optimization capabilities using artificial intelligence, occupancy analytics, and energy efficiency. In other words, the network ceases to be a passive element and becomes a living system.” 

AI, data, and operational efficiency 

One of the project’s cornerstones is its ability to generate operational intelligence. “The deployment brings new functionalities in two key areas for operations: information and communication,” explains Abril.

The network will provide data on behavior inside the stadium. “Being able to track mobility within the stadium and how fans and club staff interact with our network infrastructure is extremely valuable,” he notes. That information translates into concrete tools. “Our internal data analytics team is responsible for transforming all that data into dashboards that are extremely useful both during events and after they conclude,” he explains. “It allows us to make better-informed decisions.”

Artificial intelligence is already integrated into that ecosystem. “AI-based models are included in virtually every technology, substantially improving processes and response times,” he says.

Soccer remains on the field 

Despite the focus on technology, Atlético de Madrid draws a clear line. “Any technology we have in the stadium or at the club is not intended to redefine the essence of a match,” says Abril. “That happens on the field, and the spotlight is entirely on the game.”

Technology, on the other hand, operates within the surrounding environment. “The entire experience surrounding that special moment—the start of a match—is becoming increasingly connected.”

Atlético de Madrid

Beyond soccer 

But this model isn’t limited to sports; it extends to other events. “We are soccer, obviously, but the use of our venues to host any type of large-scale event that requires spacious areas—and where technology makes a real difference—is becoming increasingly significant in our operations,” he explains.

“I believe the latter is a competitive advantage,” he continues. “No one wants to go to a concert if being alongside 60,000 other spectators means feeling disconnected. I’ll go further: The concert experience improves if you can share what you’re experiencing live with the people you want to share that emotion with—or the thrill of a winning goal.”

Even so, the ultimate goal remains the same. “Our goal isn’t so much about the role we want to play as a club, but rather ensuring that fans, visitors, and professionals always have the best experience.”

This story originally appeared on CIO Spain.