Just moments before the hour mark in the match against Augsburg, amidst a sea of 81,365 fervent supporters, 18‑year‑old defender Luca Reggiani found the back of the net for Borussia Dortmund. The sheer elation on his face was instantly relayed back to the club’s academy, where director Paul Schaffran watched with a grin. "When our youngsters break into the first team, it lifts the spirit of everyone involved," Schaffran told Sky Sports. As the academy director, he explained that Reggiani is part of a broader movement within the club.
Another 18‑year‑old Italian, Samuele Inacio, made his Bundesliga debut against Bayern Munich in February and, according to Schaffran, "has already shown he belongs at this level." Even younger talent is emerging: 16‑year‑old Mathis Albert earned his first senior minutes against Freiburg, and 17‑year‑old Mussa Kaba is on the verge of doing the same. "Mussa has been with us since he was eleven, and I hold him in very high regard," Schaffran added.
These four players are not home‑grown alone; three of them arrived from other clubs. The academy’s philosophy, Schaffran explained, is to "build players from the ground up, but you need both pillars – home‑grown development and strategic recruitment." Dortmund promises a clear route to the senior squad, which is why young prospects from abroad are eager to join. Inacio arrived from Atalanta, while Reggiani came from Sassuolo.
Schaffran highlighted a structural challenge in Italy: "Most centre‑backs in Serie A are over 30, so an 18‑year‑old defender rarely gets the minutes he needs to develop at that level. Dortmund offers a faster pathway." The notion of Dortmund as a "finishing school" for talent is not new.
Stars like Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham used the Ruhr club as a springboard to global stardom. However, recent seasons have forced the club to adjust its first‑team recruitment strategy, leaning more heavily on youth. With competition from other European giants intensifying, Dortmund has deliberately lowered the age threshold for its talent hunt, placing greater responsibility on Schaffran’s staff to refine these raw abilities. The academy’s mindset has therefore undergone a radical transformation.
"We rewrote our vision and the way we develop players," Schaffran said. "In the past we were obsessed with winning at every youth level, but a victory at under‑17 means nothing if the player does not become a Bundesliga professional." His new approach is the opposite of the old one: give youngsters the toughest possible challenges early on, so that the transition to senior football feels smoother.
"It’s a massive shift in our thinking," he noted. According to Schaffran, Dortmund now fields the youngest under‑17 and under‑19 squads in Germany, as well as the youngest side in the Premier League International Cup. They are not aiming for trophies in those competitions; the goal is to over‑challenge the players.
"If you keep them comfortable, they won’t adapt. By constantly pushing them, you accelerate their growth," he explained. Schaffran emphasized that adaptation inevitably reduces short‑term efficiency. "During a period of adjustment a player won’t have the same impact on the game, which lowers the chances of winning at youth level.
But the upside is a much higher developmental ceiling." A key component of this overhaul is the introduction of bio‑banding. By using ultrasound scans to determine each player’s skeletal age, Dortmund can place youngsters in groups that match their physical maturity rather than their chronological age. Six years ago the academy’s composition was heavily skewed: 35% early developers, 60% average, and less than 5% late developers. This distribution reflected a bias toward early‑maturing bodies, not necessarily true talent.
"The biggest lesson from bio‑banding wasn’t for the players; it was for our coaches and scouts," Schaffran said. "They now assess talent through a different lens." Coaches have been taught to look beyond the dominant 14‑year‑old who currently outshines his peers. A player who was once considered too slow would have been dismissed under the old system, but now, given time to develop at his own pace, he may still reach the top. Schaffran noted that the club moved away from quota‑based selections toward education and individualized development.
The result this year is a balanced spread: 15% early developers, 70% average, and 15% late developers. Individual progress sometimes means losing key players at youth level. Inacio and Albert were excelling with the under‑19s, prompting a promotion to a higher challenge. Albert, in particular, has shown remarkable adaptability: he featured in Dortmund’s Club World Cup squad, represented the United States at the U‑17 World Cup, and has rotated between the under‑19s and under‑23s, gaining experience both domestically and abroad.
"He keeps stepping up to new environments," Schaffran observed. Such promotions are difficult for the youth teams because they lose their best performers. "If we only cared about winning at youth level, we would keep them," Schaffran admitted.
"Our priority is development, not trophies." The alignment between the academy and the first‑team hierarchy has improved under former academy chief Rainer Ricken, who now influences senior‑team decisions. Schaffran is regularly invited to first‑team squad planning meetings, ensuring a seamless dialogue about promising youngsters. Ricken himself was instrumental in recruiting many of the current academy prospects, smoothing their integration into the club’s culture.
When Schaffran saw Reggiani’s jubilant reaction after his goal against Augsburg, he recalled the youngster celebrating with the under‑12 to under‑15 groups back at the academy. "Seeing Luca’s joy reminded us why we do this work," Schaffran said proudly. Dortmund’s talent pipeline, once again, appears to be humming with activity, delivering the next generation of professional footballers.