Since September 2017, Flamengo has been working in partnership with the renowned international consultancy Double Pass on a long-term project in Latin America. Now, next Saturday, March 3rd, at 11 am, representatives from both institutions will meet for the first time in a press conference at Flamengo's Gávea headquarters, in the Rogerio Steinberg auditorium.
Double Pass's head of football development, Henk Mariman, will be present, and CEO Hugo Schoukens will participate via video call. Flamengo's president, Eduardo Bandeira de Mello, the club's general director, Fred Luz, Luis Gustavo Nogueira, the president's advisor for youth football, and other football representatives will be present.
"Years ago, we saw a report about the transformation of the German national team that caught our attention. While researching for more information, we discovered that Double Pass had a number of success stories and invited them to work on the diagnosis of our youth teams. We really liked it and were certain that closing a deal with the company would be very beneficial. We are very excited about all the possibilities. We want, together, to develop the Flamengo DNA, integrating the first team with the youth teams. Our youth players are a top priority for us, and Double Pass will help us continue this process of restoring our tradition as a developing club, immortalized by the motto 'Flamengo makes stars at home,'" explained Fred Luz.
start of work
In 2016, an in-depth analysis was conducted based on interviews with staff, players, and coaches, as well as training videos. Based on this study, improvements focused on the corporate and operational management of Flamengo's football development were proposed. In September 2017, Flamengo began considering a system to hone its youth academy talent. Double Pass then created a standard to organize and optimize the work already being carried out with great skill by the club's professionals at the George Helal Training Center, known as Ninho do Urubu.
"A successful club is built on a strong and loyal fan community and a state-of-the-art talent development system, which we call the Academy. The Academy is the club's factory, producing talented players with Flamengo's DNA. It creates the club's socioeconomic assets and ensures long-term success. And a strong and loyal fan base encourages the development and integration of youth players into the first team. The Flamengo fans and youth players are the soul of the club," said Hugo Schoukens, CEO of Double Pass.
Get to work
An important first step in the consulting project was optimizing the infrastructure for a 'Technical Council' at the club and 'Academy' levels. This council includes the first-team coach, the Director of Football, the Director of Youth Football, professionals from the Intelligence and Performance departments, technical coordinators, and coaches. The transition of athletes from the youth team to the professional level is a key part of this Council's responsibilities, as is the development and monitoring of the club's football philosophy: Flamengo's DNA, culture, style, and playing principles. Flamengo's current values, mission, and vision were refined, and the proposal for the youth academy was defined by answering strategic questions such as: "What makes Flamengo's youth academy unique?"
Performance indicators have been implemented for the club's talent development, and the monitoring process has been intensified. Double Pass will also create a high-performance framework for each youth player, aiming to connect the final phase of the 'Academy' with the demands of the professional team. Throughout this process, the connection between the Football Department, the Center of Excellence and Performance, and the Intelligence Center is crucial.
So what?
Based on the club's values and culture, and with a defined football philosophy, the next step will be to write a manual with specific objectives for each category. In this material, tactical, technical, physical, and mental goals will be integrated and then translated into practical training. Flamengo and Double Pass will then define the individual development philosophy for each athlete, based on the creation of an evaluation system with individual action plans throughout the Academy.
About Double Pass
Double Pass assesses, advises, and educates football clubs, leagues, and (con)federations to optimize the development of young talent using a unique methodology. Based on the initial assessment results, the Belgian company's experienced football professionals help implement tailored solutions at both the corporate and technical levels.
With 15 years of experience, Double Pass' track record includes 450 Belgian youth clubs, 48 Bundesliga and Regionalliga clubs in Germany, 92 Premier League and EFL Championship clubs, 21 Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs and 54 non-MLS development academies in the United States, 54 J-League clubs in Japan, 19 elite Hungarian clubs, 29 elite Danish clubs, 10 elite Scottish clubs, 16 Polish Ekstraklasa clubs and other clubs such as Galatasaray, Zenit Sint-Petersburg and Lokomotiv Moscow.
Double Pass's head of football development, Henk Mariman, will be present, and CEO Hugo Schoukens will participate via video call. Flamengo's president, Eduardo Bandeira de Mello, the club's general director, Fred Luz, Luis Gustavo Nogueira, the president's advisor for youth football, and other football representatives will be present.
"Years ago, we saw a report about the transformation of the German national team that caught our attention. While researching for more information, we discovered that Double Pass had a number of success stories and invited them to work on the diagnosis of our youth teams. We really liked it and were certain that closing a deal with the company would be very beneficial. We are very excited about all the possibilities. We want, together, to develop the Flamengo DNA, integrating the first team with the youth teams. Our youth players are a top priority for us, and Double Pass will help us continue this process of restoring our tradition as a developing club, immortalized by the motto 'Flamengo makes stars at home,'" explained Fred Luz.
start of work
In 2016, an in-depth analysis was conducted based on interviews with staff, players, and coaches, as well as training videos. Based on this study, improvements focused on the corporate and operational management of Flamengo's football development were proposed. In September 2017, Flamengo began considering a system to hone its youth academy talent. Double Pass then created a standard to organize and optimize the work already being carried out with great skill by the club's professionals at the George Helal Training Center, known as Ninho do Urubu.
"A successful club is built on a strong and loyal fan community and a state-of-the-art talent development system, which we call the Academy. The Academy is the club's factory, producing talented players with Flamengo's DNA. It creates the club's socioeconomic assets and ensures long-term success. And a strong and loyal fan base encourages the development and integration of youth players into the first team. The Flamengo fans and youth players are the soul of the club," said Hugo Schoukens, CEO of Double Pass.
Get to work
An important first step in the consulting project was optimizing the infrastructure for a 'Technical Council' at the club and 'Academy' levels. This council includes the first-team coach, the Director of Football, the Director of Youth Football, professionals from the Intelligence and Performance departments, technical coordinators, and coaches. The transition of athletes from the youth team to the professional level is a key part of this Council's responsibilities, as is the development and monitoring of the club's football philosophy: Flamengo's DNA, culture, style, and playing principles. Flamengo's current values, mission, and vision were refined, and the proposal for the youth academy was defined by answering strategic questions such as: "What makes Flamengo's youth academy unique?"
Performance indicators have been implemented for the club's talent development, and the monitoring process has been intensified. Double Pass will also create a high-performance framework for each youth player, aiming to connect the final phase of the 'Academy' with the demands of the professional team. Throughout this process, the connection between the Football Department, the Center of Excellence and Performance, and the Intelligence Center is crucial.
So what?
Based on the club's values and culture, and with a defined football philosophy, the next step will be to write a manual with specific objectives for each category. In this material, tactical, technical, physical, and mental goals will be integrated and then translated into practical training. Flamengo and Double Pass will then define the individual development philosophy for each athlete, based on the creation of an evaluation system with individual action plans throughout the Academy.
About Double Pass
Double Pass assesses, advises, and educates football clubs, leagues, and (con)federations to optimize the development of young talent using a unique methodology. Based on the initial assessment results, the Belgian company's experienced football professionals help implement tailored solutions at both the corporate and technical levels.
With 15 years of experience, Double Pass' track record includes 450 Belgian youth clubs, 48 Bundesliga and Regionalliga clubs in Germany, 92 Premier League and EFL Championship clubs, 21 Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs and 54 non-MLS development academies in the United States, 54 J-League clubs in Japan, 19 elite Hungarian clubs, 29 elite Danish clubs, 10 elite Scottish clubs, 16 Polish Ekstraklasa clubs and other clubs such as Galatasaray, Zenit Sint-Petersburg and Lokomotiv Moscow.