What else can Leverkusen obtain? Put this query to sporting director Simon Rolfs throughout a latest go to to the Bundesliga champions and his reply was stunning. He isn’t speaking about extra glory, however about creating the academy.
“We solely have two gamers from the academy in our squad in the meanwhile,” Rolfs mentioned. sky sports activities. One such participant is Florian Wirtz, who spent most of his growth time at FC Köln. The opposite is substitute goalkeeper Niklas Rom, now 31 years previous.
“It could be nice to be on the degree we are actually however with 5, six, seven, eight or 9 gamers from the academy,” Rolfs added. “I believe it should additionally give one other increase to the event of this membership and our profile. It is a long-term venture.”
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He continued: “We have now made vital progress within the youth academy, bringing in additional nationwide crew gamers. 5 years in the past, there might need been two or three gamers, now there are virtually 20. We’re enhancing, however we now have to It is nonetheless a giant problem for them to show that we now have the flexibility to develop.
In an interview with CEO Fernando Carlo, he expressed a lot the identical sentiment, stressing that this was not Rolfs’ whim however a need by Leverkusen to construct on a stunning title win. a core challenge.
“One of many issues that could be very important and necessary for us is strengthening our academy,” Carlo mentioned. “We have now to be extra profitable in getting academy gamers into the primary crew. However in fact that is all the time going to be increasingly more troublesome due to the upper degree of our first crew.”
So, how did Leverkusen do it? The individual liable for effecting the adjustments demanded by the boss is Jefta Bresser, the academy’s president. The affable Dutch had been detached. “I can deal with stress,” he advised sky sports activities. “If not, I am not the precise individual.”
Blaser solely arrived at Leverkusen in October, having already launched into an astonishing run with the first-team squad. We made this remark after watching the U19 crew come again to win 4-3. “I do not know what’s unsuitable with this membership,” he joked.
However wanting on the drawback with recent eyes might give him the solutions Leverkusen is searching for. Blaser factors to research exhibiting that Germany produces lower than one skilled per million inhabitants. In Portugal and the Netherlands, the quantity is nearer to 5.
“The speed in England is between two and three per million. This statistic can solely imply two issues. Both Germany does not have the expertise, or we do not develop them correctly. I believe it is undoubtedly the latter as a result of soccer It is usually the primary sport in Germany.
Blaser already had an concept. One apparent change is to enhance the choice course of. “Practically 80 per cent of our boys aged 12 to 19 are born within the first six months.” It is a worrying bias primarily based on relative age results. They missed the late developer.
Symbolically, Blaser moved the U19 crew head coach to the brand new place of coach for the 8 to fifteen age group. It sends a message about what’s necessary. “Creating coaches helps develop gamers. All of it begins with high quality teaching.”
Blaser’s personal background is as technical coach at Fulham beneath Martin Jol after which beneath Andre Villas-Boas and Luciano Spalletti at Zenit St Petersburg coach. He by no means overpassed the significance of one-on-one work in serving to develop gamers.
“Individuals overlook the significance of this private consideration, even at first-team degree. It isn’t all the time about particular practices. It is concerning the consideration of the coach. That brings confidence, that brings good really feel and assist enhance efficiency.
One other massive change within the plans is a big improve within the variety of academy gamers. “I am wanting on the fashions of Benfica and PSV. I wish to get extra youngsters into the academy at a youthful age so there is a larger base, a wider pyramid.”
Blaser goals to supply “kind of pairs” for every age group. To not launch extra, however to supply higher assurance. “I do not like deselecting gamers too early.” Beginning this season, the U11 boys crew was promised.
“We promised them they may stick with us from fifth grade to tenth grade. So not solely had been they in our college for a very long time, they had been in our soccer academy for a very long time. I believe that It is a highly effective factor and that is what we’ll do.
This safety helps gamers. “After they begin affected by Osgood-Schlatter illness and rising pains and so forth, they’re nonetheless in a susceptible interval. However now they don’t seem to be beneath a lot stress that they’ve to depart the membership yearly. It is a An enormous deal.
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He additionally hopes it should encourage coaches to concentrate on particular person growth reasonably than crew success. “Coaches must really feel snug and never really feel stress to win video games. Generally we lose video games and that is completely high quality.”
“Our particular person method coupled with the truth that we’re invested in a toddler’s growth for an extended time period could also be totally different for us, a extra holistic method. We will not all the time take into consideration discovering what’s higher subsequent door,” Blaser explains. Larger, stronger youngsters.
With extra gamers wanted within the older age teams, there may be nonetheless a possibility so as to add proficient gamers to the academy. “There’s all the time room to usher in new youngsters. However they have to be within the prime 5. In the event that they’re like everybody else, they are not going to come back.”
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Blaser hopes to put the foundations first, however the ultimate step from academy graduate to first-team soccer stays the largest leap. Carlo is exploring choices, whether or not that be forming strategic relationships with golf equipment in Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria or elsewhere.
“We do not have what different golf equipment have and perhaps rivals with a number of membership possession have a second crew,” Carlo defined. “It is one thing we now have to consider. For the time being, we’re analyzing it and we are going to Needed to focus on technique.”
Blaser admits the soar from academy to Champions League soccer is “too massive” for many younger gamers. “In soccer we are inclined to concentrate on exceptions. Florian Wirtz was prepared at 17, however he’s the exception. Most boys are prepared at 21 or 22.
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“To be sincere, there must be some options. As talked about earlier, do we’d like a second crew? Do we’d like a accomplice membership or an auxiliary membership? We have now a really proficient crew that was born in 2007. Meaning We’d like options inside a yr for subsequent steps for these boys.
However the message from Leverkusen is that they’re searching for these options and that they’re searching for a model new coaching floor on the finish of the last decade. Discovering a strategy to keep success is the following problem, and the academy is a method to do this.
“Possibly it is a dream, however I undoubtedly need Leverkusen to be one of many prime three academies in Germany,” Blaser mentioned. “I need Europe to speak about our academy.” Is it laborious to think about? The identical goes for the Bundesliga champions. At Leverkusen, desires can come true.
