"Argentina is a fertile ground to show the world where world champions are born."

Interview with Franco Capria

Franco Capria is an Argentine entrepreneur who is part of the group of young talents that have emerged in the world of football through scouting, to modify business methodologies and propose new formats that unite continents through the ball. Today, he walks the picturesque streets of Calabria with the same serene demeanor he maintains in Madrid or Buenos Aires. His life has become a whirlwind of activities related to football in its various facets. The ball has been his companion since he guarded the goal in the youth divisions of Platense and Fénix.

Many things have happened from his childhood in Vicente López to this distant present. Experiences as a player, analyst, and entrepreneur in his native Argentina, Central and North America, and Europe, turned this Buenos Aires boy into a businessman who is about to turn 25. Today, he leads the fortunes of Asesoría Calcio, a company representing young footballers that, through efficient scouting processes aimed at supplying players to various institutions in Italy and other European leagues, expands its services through Focus Sports to institutional sports consulting and the creation of various types of events involving players, professionals, and institutions from different parts of the world.

How did you get into the world of football?

After my youth experience as a footballer, I started traveling through Spain, Italy, the United States, and Central America, generating contacts with coaches, sports directors, and various figures in the football world. It was all about human interaction. I didn't have relatives or connections in football, and the relationships outside the field were vital to my growth. When I moved to Europe, I saw the opportunity through scouting and its new tools to bring players from other places, and that ended up defining my continuity in the field.

What led you to settle in Italy?

I arrived in Italy out of necessity like many compatriots. Having Italian nationality made me feel very welcome and protected, and from there, I decided to start working from here, evaluating the possibility of correcting certain delays I observed in player evaluation, selection, and hiring mechanisms and formulating new ways of working in those aspects.

What differences do you see between European and Argentine football? What characteristics do you think allow Argentine players to adapt easily despite this gap?

The first difference I see is the political management that influences the players' development one hundred percent. In Argentina, due to contextual and football’s own environmental issues, players are trained to be sold, while in Europe, importing talent is prioritized over formative construction. In that context, Argentine players also get used to overcoming a context full of challenges. Argentines, due to the reality they face in the country, learn to live with certain things that are not seen in Europe, and that prepares them decisively to adapt to less cyclothymic environments like those on this side of the world. With all this, the Argentine player, from dedication and heart, ends up offering solutions that in some aspects the European player does not provide with such naturalness.

What is the Focus Sports business project based on?

Focus Sports is a project that was born alongside Asesoría Calcio, a broader business proposal that started two years ago. It is oriented towards the preparation and transition process of South American footballers to access Italian football. For this, training events are held that allow the players to have the appropriate football and non-football tools to handle themselves in Italian and European football. As they are held during the break period, they open up access opportunities to different clubs whose scouts come to observe these activities to recruit talent.

What opportunities do these events offer to players who decide to participate?

The main focus here is on guidance. The idea is to teach them to navigate in another country through permanent assistance for 7 weeks. From the Italian language to training and game methods. The result is a player who goes through the necessary transition before joining the club and reaching the desired opportunity with an advanced adaptation process and better tools to face the challenge.

What economic and sporting development is possible for a player who manages to insert themselves into categories like Serie D, Eccellenza, and Promozione?

Initially, the player achieves significant economic independence and stability. This is not achieved overnight, of course. But if the player manages to sustain themselves, they can live with a certain economic and emotional comfort. We encourage the players to integrate and perform in the system. The idea is not to move from one club to another every year but to maintain a level of professionalism and performance that allows them to even grow within the Italian football pyramid. We work strongly on raising player awareness of this situation.

There is a marked opinion among agents and the footballers' environment that players who end up in these leagues "get lost" from the view of more competitive leagues. What is your response to this assertion?

We must emphasize to the player what their reality is. I believe in the limits that each one has. And our obligation is to make the player understand what their real ceiling is. If false expectations are installed in the footballer, we are setting them up for failure. That does not mean that players who arrive in these leagues have their maximum limit there. They will stay in these leagues only if they coincide with the maximum of their possibilities. If they exceed that limit, they will inevitably grow. Players get lost when false expectations are installed regarding their professional possibilities. Our job is, based on our knowledge of the football world, to interpret and communicate to the players the reality they belong to and in which they can develop as a professional.

What possibility exists of formulating these types of events in Argentina and commercializing them globally as an income opportunity for clubs?

These camps can be held anywhere in the world. The current opening of new markets in football provides significant options to attract players from continents such as Asia, North America, or Oceania to adapt to South American football. Argentina today has the ideal opportunity as a world champion to leverage its advantages as a training space. They can even become genuine sources of income for those clubs that can organize the event according to our formalities and frameworks. As a company, we are open to these proposals and to professionally advising institutions and even facilitating access to potential clients, so they can repeat these actions periodically and turn them into a permanent income source.

How attractive is Argentine football in its current state to organize these types of activities and attract audiences from different latitudes?

The moment is very favorable. The world championship title, participation in the Olympics, and the constant emergence of new talents make Argentine football a fertile ground to show where the great figures that shine in the top leagues are born. There is even the ease of not doing these activities out of necessity for recruitment but as a sports tourism experience that also allows the club to expand the reach of its "brand" to spaces that seem very distant today.

What is your dream goal in football?

Our goal is to grow hand in hand with the players we represent. We have a specific goal with each player. Our task is to take the player who trusts us as highly as possible, and with that, our growth as a business space will come naturally.

By Nicolás Di Pasqua

The Demystification of the Scouting Department's Role

 In searching for profiles suitable for each institution's idiosyncrasy and style, the delineation between the scope of application of the department and the club management's decision-making breadth often presents itself in different ways, not without conflicts. So, what is the purpose of the Department?

I've developed in the sports world from various perspectives: as a player, youth coach, assistant coach, youth coordinator, journalist, head coach (both abroad and domestically), advisor to agents and clubs, technical secretary, women's football head coach, fan, and other minor roles I'd rather not recall. But, in all these roles, I always understood that good teams are made with good players, and sourcing the raw materials is crucial for developing in the best way in this sport.

"The raw material," as Colo Regenhardt (coordinator at Boca Juniors) called it, giving capturing youth players a value higher than the rest of the structure (which they didn't neglect either). They had set up a search structure with more than fifteen people, and in 2019, they had seen over 50,000 kids nationwide.

The title of this article is ironic regarding this new trend of fancy names and nomenclatures to refer to simple matters. Scouting is indeed simple, although it ends up being transcendent in the search for players, in an environment where competition is increasingly fierce and finding the player at the right time is more difficult.

The Role of a Scout in Modern Football

It's not easy to make those who control the club's finances understand that the scouting system is an investment, not an expense. That what's invisible today can be monetized in the future. Ultimately, a scout's work carries a significant margin of error, and success cannot be guaranteed, yet the scout's work is crucial and more essential than ever.

While the field of action lies in raw search, where evaluation is general, today it's important, to elevate the function's quality, for the scout to understand and respect the club's vision and guidelines, beyond the coach working at that time.

The style model, where each position entails a search, will help choose, within a range, the characteristics each player should have. This seems obvious, but we still see and sign players competing for the same position with completely different physical and footballing characteristics (let's note: if the team seeks that, having two different profiles. Generally, however, that's not the case).

The scout's broad spectrum leads to various scouting paths: the search for young talents to complete the first team ladder (often, reinforcements come from youth teams, the club's own, or those contracted), monitoring professional players from the institution, tracking suitable leagues, evolving offers, monitoring loaned players, database management, analyzing rival teams (which serves a dual purpose), among other specific activities depending on the institution. All this is done through traditional scouting methods, now also aided by technology, which has facilitated the task, both through videos and performance data.

Accessing the technical and physical aspects is easy, but another function of the scout is to understand what the video doesn't show: the mentality and personality of each player. At this point, we need to be attentive, today more than ever, as teams are built with people, and often, we are deceived by a player's technique, forgetting relevant facets like physical and mental aspects. Character and adaptability to environments are also aspects to consider.

Emerging talents are easily detectable now. However, intuition, experience, and dedication are the fundamental bases of scouting; it's not enough to collect data and use a mathematical equation to evaluate the profiles to be signed.

In summary, a good scout must have the art of merging analytical science with a passion for the game in a continuous and dynamic process where, as in every match, every second counts. They must innovate and strive for excellence. The scout is an indispensable ally in this fast-paced modern football, although being up to par with this competitiveness doesn't guarantee victory.

"Scouting is useless"

This is a topic of constant debate, and since it's often immeasurable, the scouting department tends to be underestimated and considered obsolete and ineffective, as it consumes many resources and success is not guaranteed. The lack of precision is the gray area of the profession, where detractors lean... but ultimately, they come to accept that someone has to search, and if it's organized and methodical, it has a higher chance of success.

Coaches seek to know everything to feel reassured, but the reality is that, in the end, the ball either goes in or doesn't. While scouting in football is not infallible and subject to legitimate criticism, claiming that it's useless is an oversimplification. The scout will always be a valuable tool that contributes to the club's continuous development, far above other areas with higher budgets and visibility.

The issue is why executives are not aware that developing this area is a priority. There could be several factors:

• Embedded football culture: In Argentina, there's a long tradition of trusting the intuition and experience of scouts, agents, or well-intentioned insiders. This entrenched mentality makes adopting new methods, where analysis is more holistic, challenging.

• Lack of resources: Insufficient funding can limit clubs' ability to conduct exhaustive and systematic scouting.

• Short-term focus: Pressure for results and short executive tenures prioritize urgent matters.

• Confidence in the process: Some leaders may distrust due to past experiences of failed recruitment or the perception that scouting isn't reliable or effective.

In conclusion, scouting in football is a complex topic that has sparked constant debate in the sporting community, especially in Argentina. From my multifaceted experience in the football world, I've learned to value the importance of scouting as a fundamental tool in building successful teams. Despite the criticisms and challenges it faces, I consider scouting as a crucial investment for any club's future.

Indeed, it's not infallible and subject to errors and legitimate criticisms. However, completely disregarding its value would be ignoring its potential to contribute to the institution's continuous development.

Believing in projects is the foundation of everything. Let's analyze an example within the same discipline: players don't stop training when things go wrong or their teams don't win, quite the opposite, as in every field, efforts and seriousness are doubled, training intensifies, but disappearing is never the solution, a common occurrence in this department.

Therefore, only through a real commitment to scouting's development and a profound understanding of its potential can clubs maximize their chances of success on the field.

by Hector Bracamonte

La desmitificación del rol del Departamento de Scouting

En los procesos de búsqueda de perfiles adecuados a la idiosincrasia y el estilo de cada institución, la delimitación entre el ámbito de aplicación del área y la amplitud de decisión de la Dirección del club, suele presentarse de distintas maneras sin dejar de lado el conflicto. Entonces ¿Para qué está la Secretaría? 

En el mundo del deporte me desarrollé desde varios lugares: como jugador, entrenador de juveniles, ayudante de campo, coordinador de juveniles, periodista, director técnico (en el exterior y en el país), asesor de representantes y clubes, secretario técnico, director técnico en fútbol femenino, hincha y otras menores que no debo ni recordar. Pero, en todas estas aristas, siempre entendí que los equipos buenos se hacen con jugadores buenos y la búsqueda de la materia prima es crucial para desarrollarse de la mejor manera en este deporte.

“La materia prima”, le llamaba el Colo Regenhardt (coordinador en Boca Juniors), dándole un valor superlativo a la captación de juveniles, mayor que al resto de la estructura (la cual tampoco descuidaba). De hecho, habían armado una estructura de búsqueda con más de quince personas y, en el año 2019, habían visto a más de 50 000 chicos en todo el país.

El título de este artículo es una ironía con respecto a esta nueva moda de nombres y nomenclaturas rebuscadas para referirse a temas simples. El scouting ciertamente es simple, aunque termine siendo trascendental para la búsqueda de jugadores, en un ámbito donde la competencia cada vez es más feroz y donde es más difícil encontrar el jugador en tiempo y forma.

El rol de captador en el fútbol actual

No es fácil hacerle entender a quien dispone del dinero del club que el sistema de búsqueda es un costo y no un gasto. Que lo invisible hoy es monetizable a futuro. En definitiva, que el trabajo de un captador lleva consigo un margen de error muy grande, que no se puede garantizar el éxito y que el trabajo del scout es primordial y más crucial que nunca.

Si bien el campo de acción está en la búsqueda bruta, donde la evaluación es general, hoy es importante, para darle un salto de calidad a la función, que el scout entienda y respete la visión del club y su lineamiento, más allá del entrenador que en ese momento esté trabajando. 

El modelo de estilo, donde cada posición conlleva una búsqueda, ayudará a elegir, dentro de un rango, las características que debería tener cada jugador. Esto parece una obviedad, pero seguimos viendo y contratando jugadores que compiten por una misma posición y tienen características físicas y futbolísticas totalmente diferentes (pongamos una salvedad: que el equipo busque eso, tener dos perfiles diferentes, pero por lo general no es así).

El amplio espectro del captador hace que las visorias vayan en diferentes caminos: la búsqueda de talentos jóvenes para completar la escalera del primer equipo (muchas veces, los refuerzos están en los juveniles, los del club o los que se contraten), el monitoreo de los jugadores profesionales de la institución, el rastreo en ligas adecuadas, la evolución de los ofrecimientos, los seguimientos de los jugadores prestados, el control de la base de datos, los análisis de equipos rivales (l que tiene una doble utilidad), entre otras actividades específicas según la institución. Y todo esto se realiza a través de métodos tradicionales de visorias, y ahora, también con la ayuda de la tecnología, que ha facilitado la tarea, tanto por videos como mediante datos de rendimiento.

Es fácil acceder al aspecto técnico y físico, pero otra de las funciones del scout es conocer lo que no muestra el video: la mentalidad y personalidad de cada jugador. Es en este punto donde hay que estar atentos, hoy más que nunca, ya que los equipos se arman con personas y, muchas veces, nos vemos engañados por la técnica de un jugador, olvidando facetas relevantes como lo físico y lo mental. El carácter y la adaptabilidad a los medios también es un aspecto que hay que tener en cuenta.

Los talentos emergentes ya son detectables fácilmente. Sin embargo, la intuición, la experiencia y la dedicación son las bases fundamentales del scout, no basta con la recolección de datos y la ecuación matemática para evaluar los perfiles que se vayan a contratar

En síntesis, un captador bueno debe tener el arte de fusionar la ciencia del análisis con la pasión por el juego en un proceso continuo y dinámico donde, como en cada partido, todo segundo cuenta. Debe innovar y buscar la excelencia. El scout es un aliado indispensable en este vertiginoso fútbol moderno, aunque estar a la altura de esta competitividad no asegura la victoria.

“El scouting no sirve para nada”

Este es un tema de constante debate y, como en la mayoría de las ocasiones no es medible, siempre se tiende a ningunear el departamento de búsqueda y a considerar esta práctica obsoleta y poco efectiva, ya que se gastan muchos recursos y no hay seguridad de éxito. La falta de precisión es el gris de la profesión, es ahí donde se apoyan los detractores… pero, a la larga, terminan por aceptar que alguien tiene que hacer la búsqueda y, si es ordenada y metodológica, tiene mayor probabilidad de éxito.

Los entrenadores buscamos tener conocimiento de todo para quedarnos tranquilos, pero la realidad es que, al final, la pelota entra o no. Si bien el scouting en el fútbol no es infalible y está sujeto a críticas legítimas, afirmar que no sirve es una simplificación excesiva. El scout siempre será una herramienta valiosa que contribuye al desarrollo continuo del club, muy por encima de otras áreas con mayor presupuesto y visibilidad.

El tema es ¿por qué los directivos no toman consciencia de que el desarrollo de esta área es prioritario? Los factores pueden ser varios:

1. La cultura futbolística arraigada: En Argentina, existe una larga tradición de confiar en la intuición y la experiencia de ojeadores, representantes o allegados con buenas intenciones. Esta mentalidad arraigada dificulta la adopción de nuevos métodos, donde los análisis son más holísticos.

2. La falta de recursos: La falta de financiamiento puede limitar la capacidad de los clubes para realizar un scouting exhaustivo y sistemático.

3. El enfoque a corto plazo: La presión por los resultados y los procesos directivos cortos hacen que la prioridad pase por lo urgente.

4. La confianza en el proceso: Algunos dirigentes pueden desconfiar debido a experiencias pasadas de reclutamiento fallido o a la percepción de que el scouting no es confiable o efectivo.

En conclusión, el scouting en el fútbol es un tema complejo que ha generado un debate constante en la ciudadanía deportiva, sobre todo, en la Argentina. Desde mi experiencia multifacética en el mundo del fútbol, he aprendido a valorar la importancia de la búsqueda como una herramienta fundamental en la construcción de equipos exitosos. A pesar de las críticas y los desafíos que enfrenta, considero al scouting como una inversión crucial para el futuro de cualquier club.

Es cierto que no es infalible y está sujeto a errores y críticas legítimas. Sin embargo, descartar completamente su valor sería ignorar su potencial para contribuir al desarrollo continuo de la institución.

Creer en los proyectos es la base de todo. Analicemos un ejemplo dentro de la misma disciplina: los jugadores no dejan de entrenar cuando les va mal o sus equipos no ganan, todo lo contrario, como en todo ámbito, se intenta doblar esfuerzos y seriedad, se entrena el doble, pero nunca la desaparición es la salida, cosa frecuente en este departamento.

Por eso, solo mediante un compromiso real con el desarrollo del scouting y una comprensión profunda de su potencial, los clubes pueden maximizar sus oportunidades de éxito en el campo de juego.

Por Héctor Bracamonte

The Story Gatherer

 The column of Héctor Bracamonte

Story 1: "Success is not for those who never fail, but for those who never give up." - Vince Lombardi

Summer of 1996. A group of players was on trial at a famous club, facing off against a combined team of second-tier players from the club in question. Some were vying for a chance to join the club, while others felt these rivals were directly trying to take their place. A sad and necessary situation that occurs in youth football every year. The place of the free agents and the newcomers. Opportunities and frustrations generate an emotional and energetic burden that often goes unnoticed by outsiders but is crucial and enduring for those of us who experience it every year.

The match in question was a complete disaster. The inexperienced and weak team from the interior was thoroughly beaten, they were vastly outplayed and crushed by this combined team. From the first actions, it was clear that the trial was going to be a disaster and a waste of time: they conceded more than ten goals in less than forty-five minutes.

The organizers of the match, experienced scouts, were lamenting internally. However, the coordinator, who was initially upset, started to watch the match with interest. With each goal, his attention to the match increased. At one point, he even stood up and encouraged the stronger team to keep attacking.

The trial organizer approached him and said:

- Jorge, I'm going to stop it.

- No, no! Let them keep playing.

- But it doesn't make sense, the "orange" team can't stop anyone.

- Didn't you see what number 2 is doing? Every time there's a goal, he sprints, retrieves the ball from the net, and quickly restarts the game. Look: he never gives up. I like that!

November 28, 2000. The most important match in Boca Juniors' history is about to end. The 'Xeneize' team is leading 2-1 against Real Madrid in Japan. Substitution for Boca: Sebastián Battaglia is substituted, and in comes that boy from Córdoba who, four years ago, kept retrieving the balls from the net over and over. He's 19 years old and his name is Nicolás Burdisso.

El captador de historias

La columna de Héctor Bracamonte

Historia 1: “El éxito no es para aquellos que nunca fallan, si no para los que nunca se rinden” Vince Lombardi

Verano del año 1996. Un grupo de jugadores estaba a prueba en un famoso club, y debía enfrentarse a un combinado de jugadores de segunda línea del club en cuestión. Unos se jugaban la posibilidad de ingresar al club y los otros entendían que estos rivales venían directamente a ocupar su lugar. Situaciones tristes y necesarias que ocurren en el fútbol juvenil cada año. El lugar de los libres y los nuevos. Las oportunidades y las frustraciones generan una carga emotiva y energética que muchas veces pasa inadvertida para los ajenos, pero que es crucial y dura para los que la vivimos cada año.

El partido en cuestión fue un verdadero fiasco. El equipo de inexpertos y débiles chicos del interior recibió una verdadera paliza, fueron ampliamente superados y vapuleados por este combinado. Desde las primeras acciones, se intuía que la prueba iba a ser un desastre y una pérdida de tiempo: llegaron a marcarle más de diez goles en menos de cuarenta y cinco minutos.

Los organizadores del partido, experimentados captadores, se lamentaban por dentro. Sin embargo, el coordinador, que al inicio del partido estaba molesto, empezó a mirar el partido con interés. Con cada gol, su atención, puesta en el partido, aumentaba. En un momento, incluso, se paró y alentó al equipo más fuerte a seguir atacando. 

El organizador de la prueba se le acercó y le dijo:

—Jorge, lo voy a cortar.

—¡No, no!, que sigan jugando.

—Pero no tiene sentido, no paran a nadie los “naranja”

—¿No viste lo que hace el 2? En cada gol sale en velocidad, saca la pelota del fondo de la red y la tira para reiniciar rápido el juego. Fijate: no baja los brazos nunca. ¡Me gusta!

28 de noviembre de 2000. Está por terminar el partido más importante de la historia de Boca Juniors. El conjunto ‘Xeneize’ le está ganando 2-1 al Real Madrid en Japón. Cambio en Boca: sale Sebastián Battaglia y entra aquel chico cordobés que, cuatro años atrás, sacaba una y otra vez las pelotas del fondo de la red. Tiene 19 años y se llama Nicolás Burdisso.

Limits and Responsibilities of Scouting as an Activity

The scouting process ultimately aims at recruiting footballers. With this primary objective in mind, institutions must not overlook the various guidelines that a formative apparatus must follow and its responsibility regarding the future of the young players it nurtures.

    In a formative process, the contribution of human resources is fundamental. Both within the institution, where scouts, coaches, doctors, equipment managers, etc., sustain the footballing life of the young player, and in the player's context, which includes family, friends; and the agency representing them, among other actors, are important parts of the player's growth in their formation, conditioning their short and long-term chances of success.

    The beginning of this formative journey is the talent selection procedure. This process can be divided into two well-defined parts: on one hand, the psychosocial-emotional selection stage, where through various interviews, professionals establish a behavioral profile of the player. On the other hand, the technical-tactical evaluation, which is more established in football history, also requires methodologies and professionals who understand the matter as a process, not just relying on talent to detect good footballers.

    In both cases, it is necessary to have professionals with training who can not only understand and be part of a working process but also build it, criticize it, and improve it.

    This machinery must be supported by the institution that houses it. From there, the club's intentions regarding the player's formation must emerge clearly. The institutional role is crucial because it will offer the player assurances about their future, transmit the essence of the sought-after playing style, and mold them to the point of instilling a sense of belonging.

    At this point, honesty deserves highlighting as a fundamental value. Not only because it will establish tangible and achievable goals for the player's growth but also because it will be the basis of the player's human development as a future professional. With this, the player's identification with the institution will be practically assured.

    With the coverage of psychosocial-emotional, technical-tactical, and institutional identity factors, we can move on to analyze talent scouting from its ideal form to a comparative mode.

    To a large extent, clubs recruit players through grassroots football. Here, three types of scouting can be carried out: internal, when clubs have internal competitions from which promising talents can emerge; external, when trials or tournaments are held to observe players; and through intermediaries, when a scout belonging to the club, an intermediary, or a representative is involved. However, despite these being common recruitment formats, they do not guarantee correct results.

    The process needs professional and human quality in each role that comprises it while avoiding skipping stages in the overall understanding of the footballer. This approach prevents talent drain, which often occurs due to significant deficiencies in the formative or managerial area that lead young players to distance themselves from the activity.

    My experience is relatively short. But in these six years of journeying, I have been through several institutions of different kinds. From social development entities to professionalism, through formative and amateur processes. Along this path, I observed deficiencies of all kinds in promising footballers. It is evident that in this rapid race towards the "finished product," the existence of shortcuts produces deficiencies that span the entire formative spectrum, from nutritional to sporting aspects.

    The rush to bring the promise of the moment to reality hinders the human development of the player. At the same time, we forget the different degrees of individual maturation of the athlete, causing them to skip stages in the process that are often irreversible in their careers. Even at more advanced ages, the focus shifts from continuous training to competition.

    But for that footballer who, between 19 and 20 years old, is discarded from the formation process, solutions are not provided that, if not beneficial to the institution, at least offer the player an alternative path within or outside football.

    These numerous individuals who dedicated between five and ten years to train to be professional footballers, sacrificing significant events in their lives for this purpose, one day find themselves without a place and without opportunities to relaunch their dreams. In this regard, even considering the difficulty for clubs to invest in resources they will not use, they can create simple solutions through agreements or proposals that give the player a second chance. They should even review the possibility of monetizing the investment, understanding that these footballers can enhance and increase their value in lower categories.

    Criticism of scouting, its processes, and results, must primarily arise from within the activity. It is crucial to interpret recruitment as part of a whole and players as valuable resources, not just economically, but also humanly.

By Becquer Fernandez

Is there a relationship between the value of a squad and its chances of success?

    Direct relationships are often established between a squad's valuation and its success level. But is the implication of players' market values so significant in the results obtained? Through data, we will try to clarify this question.

    In the primary analysis of results, the investment and valuation of a squad seem to play a significant role in a team's chances of success and, consequently, of the club that houses it. The belief is that a more valuable — and usually more costly — squad is closer to achieving sporting objectives.

    Statistics can help, in cases like this, to confirm the thinking or debunk the discourse. In this analysis, we will try to elucidate the relationship between the value of Argentine football squads and the points obtained by the teams, drawing conclusions that other relevant evaluations can complement.

    For this purpose, we considered all matches played during 2023, including international cups, qualifications, and league matches. These data were contrasted with the valuation of the teams from Transfermarkt in November 2023 in millions of euros.

    We also used the index, Points Obtained vs Matches Played, to assess the efficiency of teams throughout the year in all matches played. This led us to a scatter plot comparing these two factors.

📊 Points Obtained Annual Table vs Squad Valuation in Millions of USD – 2023

With this statistical analysis on the table, we can draw some interesting conclusions to take into account:

▶️ River Plate is the team that achieved the best relationship between the valuation of its squad and the points obtained during the year 2023.

▶️ Godoy Cruz (1.54) and Rosario Central (1.59) achieved a high Points/MP efficiency index, with a squad valuation below the league average. With squads valued at around 20 M€, they obtained more than 60 points during the year.

▶️ Squads like Vélez Sarsfield and Argentinos Juniors have a valuation of over 40M€ but have not obtained a corresponding points harvest.

▶️ Boca Juniors has the second most valued squad in Argentine football, but its points harvest was not at the same level. With a squad valued at 79 M€, it obtained fewer points than Estudiantes de la Plata, Talleres, and San Lorenzo, which have a squad value 30M€ lower.

▶️ Newell's Old Boys, Defensa y Justicia, and Lanús have squads with similar valuations but have achieved dissimilar results throughout the year.

▶️ Defensa y Justicia was one of the standout teams of the year. The Florencio Varela team achieved the fourth-best points per match average of the year (1.62), despite not being among the most valued squads in Argentine football (33M€).

▶️ Talleres (1.63) and Estudiantes de la Plata (1.67) had a standout performance during 2023, achieving a place among the best points efficiency indices.

▶️ If we add up the valuations of the squads of Sarmiento, Platense, Central Córdoba, Barracas Central, Instituto, and Godoy Cruz, we get the squad valuation of River Plate.

▶️ Belgrano is another team with very good points efficiency in relation to its valuation. With a squad valuation of 22 million euros, it achieved a good points index (1.39).

    The conclusions are varied. There are clubs whose squad has a high market valuation, but the results do not follow in the same direction. In contrast, we can see less valued squads whose statistical levels in points collection surpass others.

    With all this, we have one certain result: the value of a squad, often accompanied by significant investment, does not necessarily guarantee sporting success. Perhaps we need to look for this relationship between money and results in other aspects of squad building. The likelihood of achieving positive campaigns seems to be more associated with the long term and the seriousness of projects than with the wallet. We will try to demonstrate this through data in future analyses.

By Mariano Moroni

Following the footsteps of the new Messi

The objectives of each club in proposing a scouting process propose substantial differences behind similar searches. Everyone is looking for the best talent, but the spaces of action and the weighted characteristics are particular to each organization.

    The following phrase, spoken by Fabio Radaelli, Scouting Director of Club Atlético River Plate, defines the ultimate goal of scouting as an activity: "We are all looking for the new Messi, even knowing that finding that talent is very difficult. But that search implies a battle, with different weapons, for each of the clubs that compete in that task."

    After conducting a series of interviews with talent detection managers from different clubs and different categories, conclusions can be drawn about the modalities of talent search in Argentine football.

    When we talk about tools for searching and recruiting players in the youth sector, we refer directly to the budgetary capacity and the availability of resources that each organization can adopt. In this aspect, intangible elements must be taken into account, such as the transcendence that the club has in the territory where it is located, and more visible elements such as the contact agenda, the possibility of accommodation for trial players, the quality of scouts, etc.

    In a club like River Plate, one of the most important in Argentina, the Scouting Department has a workgroup of 25 people who are distributed territorially within the Buenos Aires conurbation and in the interior of the country. They have predetermined the player profile they are looking for for each position and within each age range. They call it "River's DNA."

    In all positions, they look for players with technical skills. This seems obvious; however, it does not happen in most clubs, for example, in defensive positions. To do this, in addition to generating focused tests, they create regional trials with players to be evaluated and make them compete to take them to a level higher than a traditional trial. They also conduct scouting work for players aged 15 to 17 who are playing in senior teams in the interior leagues, which presupposes thorough preparation for the competition they require.

    In the case of Club Atlético Lanús, a club of smaller volume than River but of great prestige in recent years in promoting elite players, the work is more focused on the institution's area of influence. That is to say, although they receive talent from all over the country, the vast majority of their players come from grassroots football in the Buenos Aires conurbation (youth football), especially from the Southern zone of Greater Buenos Aires.

    Lanús was a pioneer in making strategic agreements with neighborhood clubs and federations that brought together those institutions within their competencies. Thus, with F.A.D.I - Argentine Federation of Children's Sports -, the largest children's football federation in the Province of Buenos Aires, they agreed to sign a compensation for sales of each player that emerged from any of the clubs in that sports community. This generated a great predisposition to bring talented children to the club since most neighborhood entities had never received any economic recognition for training players at such early ages.

    The city of Rosario has been the cradle of a multitude of consecrated players throughout history. This gives some added ease to Newell's Old Boys and Rosario Central for the early detection of talent. But it is also true that their search expands throughout the province and also in Cordoba, both due to geographical proximity and the player profile that emerges from that area.

    Then, each club does its territorial analysis to search for talent, but most agree on the search objectives, and that's where the battle begins to impose the best conditions, both for the player and their family and for the club of origin.

    At Racing Club, for example, for many years, the famous region called "la Cuenca Lechera" was used as a base. Studies showed that, in that area, players had an appropriate profile both physically and cognitively. This substantially reduced the margin of error in their career toward professionalism, and as a result, we can mention names such as Luciano Vietto, Lautaro Martinez, Juan Musso, Brian Mansilla, and Juan Dinenno, among others. This task was carried out without neglecting the club's first recruitment engine, which was its youth football, where figures such as Rodrigo De Paul, Ricardo Centurión, Luis Fariña, Matías Zaracho, Bruno Zuculini, or Diego Milito emerged.

    The Argentine national team reflects a bit the geographical configuration of the scouting maps these days. The "Scaloneta" contained a majority of players (12) born in the Province of Buenos Aires. The rest of the players are divided between Córdoba (6), Santa Fe (5), Entre Ríos (2), CABA (2), La Pampa (1), Neuquén (1), and Tucumán (1), forming an interesting melting pot that highlights the most sought-after areas for recruitment processes in our football.

    As a conclusion, it is useful to quote a brilliantly written paragraph by Fabian D’Aloisio and Juan Stanisci in their book "Semilleros":

    "Fertile ground to continue sowing. In the Match of the Century, we saw hints of fields and neighborhood clubs. Like all the previous matches broadcast on public TV, the Final of the World Cup against France had the singularity of presenting the team formation highlighting the places of origin of each of the players of the national team: Emiliano Martínez from Mar del Plata (Buenos Aires), Nahuel Molina from Embalse (Córdoba), Cristian Romero from Córdoba Capital, Nicolás Otamendi from El Talar (Buenos Aires), Nicolás Tagliafico from Rafael Calzada (Greater Buenos Aires), Rodrigo De Paul from Sarandí (Greater Buenos Aires), Enzo Fernández from San Martin (Greater Buenos Aires), Alexis Mc Allister from Santa Rosa (La Pampa), Ángel Di María from Rosario (Santa Fe), Julián Álvarez from Calchín (Córdoba), and Leo Messi from Rosario (Santa Fe), led by Leonel Scaloni from Pujato (Santa Fe).

    Now, why would it be valuable to hear the name of the locality where each of the players is from while a journalist narrates how Argentina forms? To have memory. To know where the professional footballers who today are making a career and standing out in the most successful clubs in Europe and the World come from…"

By Ignacio Santos

Sun of May

 On a sunny Sunday afternoon, in the heart of a football-loving city, a group of friends gathered at a modest café. They had known each other for years, sharing a passion for football and a curiosity about what happens behind the scenes.

Nicolás, with his sharp gaze, was the first to take out his notebook. Héctor, always meticulous, began to outline ideas about youth football. Damián, gifted with the gift of speech, dedicated himself to analyzing sports psychology. Ignacio, the youngest of the group, brought enthusiasm and freshness with his ideas about the technical secretary.

Mariano, Iván, Marcos, Becquer, Alejo, and Gastón, each with their specialty, joined the table, creating a bustling yet creative atmosphere. Amidst laughter and lively discussions, the first ideas for "El Ojo Clínico," the digital magazine they were about to launch, emerged.

They decided that their first edition would reflect their vision: to show football beyond the 90 minutes of play. They wanted to delve into internal processes, stories of overcoming, and the challenges faced by the protagonists of the most exciting sport in the world.

Thus, they began to shape their project with the collaboration of a friendship rooted in a passion for football. Each one contributed their grain of sand, combining talent, experience, and love for the game.

And so, amid mate tea and anecdotes, "The Clinical Eye" was born, a window to the football world that promised to reveal the best-kept secrets, the most touching stories, and the deepest reflections on the universal sport.

In that café, the aroma of coffee mingled with the excitement of a new beginning. And as the sun set on the horizon, the team of friends toasted to their shared dream, ready to take football beyond the field, with the same passion and critical spirit that united them.

By Calvin Dannwolf