Football Talent Factories

Club Atletico River Plate of Buenos Aires is one of the dominant clubs in South America. The Argentinian outfit has won 36 Primeira División titles, as well as four Copa Libertadores titles. A key player in the club’s success and finances has been their ability to create and develop world-class …

In Limburg, Belgium, Genk’s youth academy approach communication uniquely, applying training sessions for kids in multiple languages, like English and Dutch, developing the linguistic skills of their footballers at the same time as their footballing skills. It is no surprise then that many of the young Belgians who graduate from …

Portuguese football has long been dominated by the powerhouse clubs of the nation, the league’s ‘big three’ of Benfica, Porto and Sporting Lisbon having shared all but two of Portugal’s top flight titles ever played. The latter of the leading trio may have fallen some way adrift during the course …

According to their academy director, “Anderlecht is the street”. On the outskirts of Brussells, the streets are diverse and multicultural. Anderlecht’s academy unites kids of different backgrounds, skills, and social classes with the common love for football to create one of the sport’s most productive talent factories. In an academy …

German football has a long and illustrious history of producing leading talents, the nation comfortably amongst the most respected Countries in the global game. The foundations for the continued success of the German national team is built on a hugely successful series of academy systems scattered throughout the Bundesliga and …

For most of their history, Boca Juniors competed against River Plate with a very different approach, by using the club’s size and wealth to purchase the best players in Argentina, like Diego Maradona and Walter Samuel. This approach was working for the club, up until the 1980s, where the club’s …

Le Havre is one of the oldest clubs in France, but they have spent most of their existence in Ligue 2. The club’s senior team has failed to make a name for themselves in their own Country, but their academy has become renowned. The Normandy club set up their academy …

With the inception of the Croatian league, Dinamo Zagreb was able to begin a dynasty that is yet to end. DZG has won 20 of 27 available league titles, and are on course to win another if this season’s Croatian League resumes. A key aspect in the club’s relentless dominance …