In a recent match against Augsburg, 18-year-old defender Luca Reggiani scored for Borussia Dortmund, filling the academy director, Paul Schaffran, with pride. This joy is not isolated, as it reflects a growing trend of young players breaking into the first team.
Samuele Inacio, another 18-year-old Italian, made his Bundesliga debut against Bayern Munich, while the 16-year-old Mathis Albert debuted against Freiburg. Mussa Kaba, 17, is also expected to join the ranks soon.
The academy's approach has undergone a significant transformation, focusing on developing players from scratch while also acquiring talent from outside. The idea is to provide a pathway for young players to succeed, and Dortmund offers exactly that.
Inacio and Reggiani joined from Atalanta and Sassuolo, respectively, seeking more playing time. The average age of centre-backs in Italy is over 30, making it challenging for young players to get minutes. Dortmund has become a finishing school for young talent, with Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham being prime examples. However, the demand for results has forced the club to rethink its recruitment strategy, and the academy has had to adapt.
The mentality has shifted from focusing on winning to developing Bundesliga footballers. Schaffran explains that the approach is now the opposite of what it was before, with an emphasis on giving players the toughest challenges possible at the youth level. The under-17 and under-19 squads are the youngest in Germany, and the team will not be winning trophies, but that is a deliberate choice.
The introduction of bio-banding has been instrumental in this refocusing, using ultrasound analysis to determine the true skeletal age of players. This has led to a revelation, with coaches and scouts being educated to look beyond dominant players and focus on talent. The results are promising, with a standard distribution of players and hope for the future.
Committing to individual development can be challenging for the group, but the priority remains on creating a pathway for young players to succeed. With the former academy chief, Ricken, now making decisions for the first team, there is optimism that the conveyor belt of talent will continue to produce. Schaffran works closely with Ricken, and the squad planning meetings include discussions about youth players.
The future looks bright for Dortmund's young talent, and the academy's new approach is yielding positive results.