This book is more than a technical guide to data analysis—it’s a hands-on journey into SQL and football analytics. Designed for students, sports fans, and aspiring data analysts, it teaches SQL for beginners using real football data. Whether you're new to databases or already familiar with data analysis, you'll learn how to query, clean, and structure match statistics, player performance metrics, and tactical insights—all while gaining a deeper appreciation for the Beautiful Game.

Unlike generic SQL books, every example in this book is drawn from authentic football datasets, making the learning process practical, engaging, and directly applicable to sports data analysis. Each chapter features scenario-based challenges—“Football Questions”—that connect SQL techniques to real-world football strategies, helping you apply what you learn immediately.

This book is for anyone who wants to understand both data analysis and football in a new way. You’ll uncover hidden patterns in match outcomes, analyze team tactics, and explore player performance using SQL. By the end, you’ll not only be confident writing SQL queries—you’ll see football through a sharper, data-informed lens.

What You’ll Learn

• Understand SQL from the ground up using real football data
• Apply SQL commands to analyze match stats, player performance, and tactical decisions
• Build and structure football databases for efficient analysis
• Use scenario-based learning to connect technical skills with real-world football strategy
• Explore advanced SQL techniques such as subqueries and window functions
• Prepare data for visualization and integrate SQL with broader analytics tools
• Gain a deeper, data-informed perspective on the game of football

Who This Book Is For

Students, sports fans, aspiring analysts, and coaches who want to learn SQL and data analysis through real football data. No prior programming experience is required—just curiosity and a passion for the Beautiful Game. Whether you're new to data or looking to sharpen your skills, you'll learn how to analyze match stats, player performance, and team strategy using practical, hands-on examples.

Hamed Tabrizchi is a PhD graduate, experienced data analyst, and compelling storyteller with a passion for making analytics accessible. He is the author of Narrative SQL: Crafting Data Analysis Queries That Tell Stories (Apress), and brings his technical SQL expertise and recent experience leading a football academy data project to this new book. Drawing on more than five years of hands-on work transforming complex data into strategic insights, he bridges the gap between technical skill and football analysis.

Hamed has lectured at universities, led academic workshops, and contributed to scholarly journals, with his research receiving over 1,300 citations. He has also served as a peer reviewer for more than 330 papers across international journals and conferences, as verified by the Web of Science.