Former Spanish Coach Faces Dismissal for Defying ChatGPT Instructions

The influence of artificial intelligence in the workplace is growing rapidly, transforming complex tasks into seemingly manageable processes. Yet, overreliance on such technology can have unexpected and serious consequences. Spanish national team’s former coach, Robert Moreno, recently experienced this firsthand, reportedly losing his job due to excessive dependence on ChatGPT.

Moreno, aged 48, resigned from FC Sochi, a top-flight Russian league club, last September after securing only one point from seven matches. The club’s former sporting director, Andrei Orlov, revealed that Moreno was an avid ChatGPT user and frequently made unorthodox decisions based on the platform’s advice.

During a pre-match trip to Khabarovsk, Moreno strictly followed ChatGPT’s recommendations when preparing the team’s schedule. He reportedly instructed the squad to begin training at 7:00 a.m. and remain awake for a staggering 28 hours before a match. Speaking to Sports Russia, Orlov recounted:

“When we were preparing for the Khabarovsk trip, Robert said, ‘I’ve set everything; all parameters are configured in ChatGPT.’ I looked at the presentation, which suggested players wouldn’t sleep for 28 hours. I asked, ‘Robert, all well, but when will the players rest?’”

Despite concerns from staff and players, the team initially adhered to the AI-generated schedule, leaving many confused and fatigued. Orlov added that Moreno consulted ChatGPT even before recruiting new players. Last summer, when FC Sochi sought a forward, Moreno used ChatGPT to analyse three candidates—Vladimir Pisarsky, Pavel Melyoshin, and Artur Shushenachev—and selected Shushenachev based on the AI’s recommendation. However, the player failed to score in his first ten matches, further undermining confidence in the coach.

Eventually, both players and management lost faith in Moreno’s leadership, and FC Sochi was relegated from the Russian Premier League to the First League under his tenure.

Moreno’s coaching career began with the Spanish national team, where he served as interim coach for three matches before being appointed head coach in June 2019, following Luis Enrique’s resignation due to personal reasons. He remained with La Roja until November 2019, later managing French club Monaco and Spanish side Granada, before joining FC Sochi in December 2023.

Moreno’s experience serves as a cautionary tale of AI overdependence, highlighting that technology, while useful, cannot replace human judgment in high-stakes environments such as professional sports.