Bundesliga champion Bayer Leverkusen has renewed its six-year partnership with sports intelligence company Kitman Labs, expanding on its Software-as-a-Service capabilities.
The German football club will continue to utilise Kitman Labs’ Performance Medicine, Performance Optimisation, Coaching and Development solutions in a bid to maintain high-levels of player health, wellness and performance, from the men’s first team down to the under-8s academy team.
All encompassing data platforms will be integrated into an all-in-one solution, unifying all data and analytics into a single intelligence platform. This singular approach removes information silos and enhances cross-department collaboration with real-time reporting.
Dr. Karl-Heinrich Dittmar, Medical Director at Bayer Leverkusen, commented: “The technological capabilities and innovation of Kitman Labs has grown significantly over the last six years and after a thorough evaluation, it’s clear that no other provider shares the space. We have experienced it first-hand. Kitman takes a partnership approach to how they operate and invest in the business and its evolution and clearly act as the ‘team behind the team.
“Prior to adopting the platform, data was fragmented and practitioners were working in silos. iP ensures data accuracy, consistency and drives collaboration across all stakeholders. The inherent analytics capabilities within the platform allow us to convert data into relevant, actionable intelligence – providing insights that help inform decision-making at all levels of the organisation and on and off the pitch.”
Additionally, by deploying iP across the entire academy, the club is providing the infrastructure necessary to support repeatable and reliable programmes and systems for success, manage player pathways through performance benchmarking and personalised development plans, and leverage evidence-led practices to identify early-stage talent and accelerate growth.
The continuation of the Kitman Labs partnership signals Leverkusen’s intent to remain at the top of the Bundesliga following a historic past season.
Leverkusen became Bundesliga champions for the first time in its history in the 2023/24 season, also winning the DFB-Pokal in a domestic double campaign. The club also broke the European record for the longest unbeaten run by a UEFA team with 51 games without defeat.
Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs, added: “Dr. Dittmar and the Performance Team have now come full circle and it is personally and professionally gratifying for me and Kitman Labs to see their vision, goals and success come to fruition – creating a competitive advantage in the industry through their consistent strategic planning, preparation and performance.
“We look forward to our continued collaboration with Dr. Dittmar and the Leverkusen Performance Team and expanding our efforts to help support the health, wellness and performance goals of the entire academy.”
