Inside Bayer Leverkusen’s academy: Bundesliga champions wish to keep success and know youth is vital | Soccer Information

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 for the time being,” 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 The opposite is substitute goalkeeper Niklas Rom, now 31 years outdated.

“It could be nice to be on the stage we at the moment are however with 5, six, seven, eight or 9 gamers from the academy,” Rolfs added. “I feel it should additionally give one other enhance to the event of this membership and our profile. It is a long-term mission.”

He continued: “We now have made important progress within the academy, including extra nationwide workforce gamers. 5 years in the past, there might need been two or three gamers, now there are nearly 20. We’re enhancing, however we now have to It is nonetheless a giant problem for them to show that we now have the power to develop.

In an interview with CEO Fernando Caro, he expressed a lot the identical sentiment, stressing that this was not Rolfs’ whim, however fairly Leverkusen’s pondering on constructing on their stunning title win. a core situation.

“One of many issues that may be very important and necessary for us is strengthening our academy,” Carlo mentioned. “We now have to be extra profitable in getting academy gamers into the primary workforce. However in fact that is at all times going to be an increasing number of troublesome due to the upper stage of our first workforce.”

So, how did Leverkusen do it? The individual answerable for effecting the adjustments demanded by the boss is Jefta Bresser, the academy’s president. The affable Dutch have been detached. “I can deal with strain,” he instructed sky sports activities. “If not, I am not the appropriate 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 workforce come again to win 4-3. “I do not know what’s incorrect with this membership,” he joked.

However trying on the downside with recent eyes could give him the solutions Leverkusen is in search of. Blaser factors to a 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 appropriately. I feel it is undoubtedly the latter, as a result of so does soccer. Germany’s primary sport.

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 based mostly on relative age results. They missed the late developer.

Symbolically, Blaser moved the U19 workforce head coach to the brand new place of coach for the 8 to fifteen age group. It sends a message about what’s necessary. “Growing 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 overlooked the significance of one-on-one work in serving to develop gamers.

“Folks neglect the significance of particular person consideration, even at first-team stage. It is not at all times about particular practices. It is concerning the consideration of the coach. That brings confidence, that brings good really feel and helps enhance efficiency.

One other main change within the plans is a major enhance within the variety of academy gamers. “I am trying on the fashions of Benfica and PSV. I wish to get extra youngsters into the academy at a youthful age so there is a greater base, a wider pyramid.”

Blaser goals to supply “kind of pairs” for every age group. To not launch extra, however to supply larger assurance. “I do not like deselecting gamers too early.” Beginning this season, the U11 boys workforce was promised.

“We promised them they might stick with us from fifth grade to tenth grade. So not solely have been they in our faculty for a very long time, they have been in our soccer academy for a very long time. I feel that It is a highly effective factor and that is what we’ll do.

This safety helps gamers. “After they began affected by Osgood-Schlatter illness and rising pains and so forth, they have been nonetheless in a weak interval. However now they are not beneath a lot strain that they’ve to depart the membership yearly. It is a A giant deal.

He additionally hopes it should encourage coaches to deal with particular person growth fairly than workforce success. “Coaches must really feel snug and never really feel strain to win video games. Generally we lose video games and that is completely effective.”

“Our particular person method mixed 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 at all times take into consideration discovering what’s higher subsequent door,” Blaser explains. Larger, stronger youngsters.

With extra gamers wanted within the older age teams, there’s nonetheless a chance so as to add gifted gamers to the academy. “There’s at all times room to usher in new youngsters. However they have to be within the high 5. In the event that they’re like everybody else, they are not going to come back.”

Blaser hopes to put the foundations first, however the last step from academy graduate to first-team soccer stays the most important 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 possibly opponents with a number of membership possession have a second workforce,” Carlo defined. “It is one thing we now have to consider. In the meanwhile, we’re analyzing it and we’ll Needed to focus on technique.”

Blaser admits the leap from academy to Champions League soccer is “too large” for many younger gamers. “In soccer we are inclined to deal with exceptions. Florian Wirtz was prepared at 17, however he’s the exception. Most boys are prepared at 21 or 22.

“To be sincere, there need to be some options. As talked about earlier, do we want a second workforce? Do we want a associate membership or an auxiliary membership? We now have a really gifted workforce, born in 2007. Which means We want subsequent steps for these boys inside a 12 months of options.

However the message from Leverkusen is that they’re in search of these options and that they’re in search of a model new coaching floor on the finish of the last decade. Discovering a option to keep success is the subsequent problem, and the academy is a technique to try this.

“Possibly it is a dream, however I undoubtedly need Leverkusen to be one of many high three academies in Germany,” Blaser mentioned. “I would like Europe to speak about our academy.” Is it laborious to think about? The identical goes for the Bundesliga champions. At Leverkusen, goals can come true.