ECA News

In conjunction with the launch of the first ECA Report on Youth Academies, the European Club Association is organising a workshop dedicated to youth development on Wednesday, the 10th of October 2012 at Emirates Stadium in London.

One of the key aspects of this event will be to give a more detailed insight of the different approaches that exist in youth development, in particular by examining various innovative concepts of youth academies. The models applied by AFC Ajax, FC Internazionale Milano and GNK Dinamo Zagreb will be presented, as well as results of the first ECA Report on Youth Academies, which was recently launched at the ECA General Assembly in September.

Workshop Programme

11h00
Welcome by Liam Brady (Arsenal FC) and Olivier Jarosz (Project Manager for the ECA Report on Youth Academies)

11h15-11h45
Case Study 1: AFC Ajax - Ruben Jongkind, Academy Manager & Derk de Kloet, Process Manager

11h45-12h15
Case Study 2: FC Internazionale Milano - Roberto Samaden, Head of Youth Academy

12h15-12h45
Case Study 3: GNK Dinamo Zagreb - Romeo Jozak, Head of Youth Academy & Youth Technical Director at the Croatian FA

14h00-14h30
Presentation of results of the ECA Youth Survey - Hugo Schoukens & Jo Van Hoecke, Double Pass

14h30-16h00
Panel discussion: "Assessing the different approaches of Academies in the area of youth development"

Ernesto Paolillo (FC Internazionale Milano)

Bodo Menze, Head of Youth Academy, FC Schalke 04

Konstantin Kornakov, Head of Administration, Heart of Midlothian FC

Patrick Van Leeuven, Head of Youth Academy, FC Shakhtar Donetsk

Moderator: Liam Brady (Arsenal FC)

Final discussion & Closure
Maarten Fontein (AZ Alkmaar, ECA Board Member & Chairman of the ECA Youth Working Group)