BVB academy chief explains: how more talents reach the first team | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund has set itself the goal of bringing more players from its own academy into the first team over the coming seasons. Samuele Inacio and Luca Reggiani are good examples from last season.

In an interview with the club’s official BVB website, academy boss Paul Schaffran has now revealed what impact these examples have had and how the club plans to promote more youngsters in the new season.

Speaking about the current situation, he said: “Parts of the squads are still in the offboarding phase. At the same time, however, the performance teams of the U17, U19 and U23 have resumed training. We are in a phase in which we are analyzing and reviewing a great many things while also building a real sense of optimism for the new season.”

BVB youth academy aims to produce new stars again

The clear task for those responsible in the youth setup is to develop young players and shape new stars. Of course, that will not work every year or with every player.

For Schaffran, that does not only bring advantages either. “I am pleased that we had four professional debuts and that these players have made it to the top level. In the end, that is the currency by which we measure the work at the academy. At the same time, we can see that the pull created by these boys means we are fielding very young teams in the U23, U19, U17 and the age groups below as well. That forces us to take different measures, especially when it comes to managing the players’ workload,” he warned.

Photo: IMAGO

Nevertheless, he said he is very satisfied with the pathway through the ranks and also sees good opportunities for young players to take a step forward in the future.

The positive examples already mentioned are essential. “In the winter, we consciously decided to move players like Samuele Inacio, Luca Reggiani and Mathis Albert up early to the U23 or the professional squad. That does something to a team in the winter. It means a team has to find itself again within its structure. New players get their chance, but at the same time they also face the challenge of growing into the shoes of the youth players who were already established,” Schaffran continued.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.