Roberto Firmino's career boosted by Football Manager scouting

The career of Brazilian footballer Roberto Firmino was significantly influenced by the video game ‘Football Manager’. After facing early setbacks, including being rejected by Sao Paulo and being deemed too ‘soft’ by Marseille, Firmino found a path to European football through digital scouting.

A scout for the German club Hoffenheim discovered Firmino while playing ‘Football Manager’, noting his exceptional statistics at the Brazilian club Figueirense. This discovery led to a physical scouting mission in Brazil, which eventually facilitated his move to the German Bundesliga.