Today is one of those days that force you to pause, even for a moment, to take a deep breath and look back.
I find myself receiving my second doctoral degree, this time from the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, on a topic I’m truly passionate about: Artificial Intelligence and the impact of its data on the Football industry.
I won’t lie — the feeling is a mix of pride and relief. It’s been years of hard work, of many ideas that seemed promising and others that didn’t, but all of them have brought me here. The DBA Program at Universidad Pontificia de Comillas – ICADE is ranked among the best in the world, holding the 12th spot out of 148 according to the Dubai International Ranking.
If anyone deserves a special mention, it’s Professor Sergio García, who guided me, slowed me down when needed, and pushed me forward when I doubted myself. His patience with me should be a subject of study as well.
As Vice President of Cádiz CF, I must also acknowledge my partner and friend Manolo Vizcaíno, president of a club with 115 years of history, for allowing me to transform a traditional club into a pioneer in the application of Artificial Intelligence technologies and digitalization processes. My thesis field is a historic club — so I was playing at home.
This doctorate adds to the one I defended years ago at the University of Cádiz, focused on The competency profile of technologists in Andalusia. That project, led by Professor Carlos Guillén, was my first serious approach to the academic world, and since then, I’ve been sure of one thing: universities and businesses are two sides of the same coin — though there’s much to discuss about that relationship. I’ll leave that for another post. In any case, that connection has been a constant in my career.
I can’t help but remember Carbures, born as a spin-off from a research group at the University of Cádiz, eventually becoming the first Andalusian company to go public (now Airtificial on the Continuous Market). Manuel Galán, its academic mastermind, taught me something I’ve never forgotten: the importance of turning knowledge into real impact. What we know means little if it doesn’t have a practical application.
The curious thing about moments like this is that you can’t help but think about what truly drives you. Why do you do this? What pushes you to keep studying, researching, or creating? In my case, I believe it has always been a mix of the need to understand the world and the desire to change it — even just a little.
This doctorate is not just a title to hang on the wall; it’s a way to keep exploring what really fascinates me: how technology — specifically Artificial Intelligence — can help us become better, to push our own boundaries. This ties into the concept of Nomadar Artificial, an idea I’ve been developing for some time and that excites me more and more. I’ve already talked about it in another blog post. It’s not about some futuristic utopia but about understanding that the tools at our disposal exist to enhance us, not replace us.
I remember that when Carbures went public, Professor Galán said something that stuck with me: “We did it because we didn’t know it was impossible.” That phrase, far from being a cliché, captures the essence of how I approach every project, every challenge. There’s always something beyond — something that seems unattainable until someone makes it a reality.
Today, while holding this diploma, I don’t see this as an end but as another step. Because, in the end, what truly matters is not the recognition but what you do with it.
What comes next, as always, is work, ideas, and, most importantly, the conviction that the best is yet to come.
At this moment, I think of my daughter Pilar, a constant witness to my growth — and I to hers — and my son Rafa, who already surpasses me in stubbornness and is a true AI native at just two years old. I do this for them too.
[Video of the ceremony held at Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid. Watch here]
