Just before the hour mark in the match against Augsburg, in front of the familiar sea of 81,365 fans, 18‑year‑old defender Luca Reggiani found the back of the net for Borussia Dortmund. The sheer elation on the youngster's face echoed back to academy director Paul Schaffran, who watched the celebration from the club's training centre. "When our youngsters break into the first team it lifts everyone's spirits," Schaffran told Sky Sports.
As the academy chief, he explained that Reggiani is part of a broader shift in Dortmund's approach to developing talent. 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." Six‑year‑old prodigy Mathis Albert, only 16, earned his first senior minutes against Freiburg last Sunday, while 17‑year‑old Mussa Kaba is on the brink of a similar breakthrough. "He's been with us since he was eleven and I rate him very highly," Schaffran added. The three players mentioned above were all recruited from outside the club.
"Our philosophy is to build players from the ground up, but we also need external pillars to strengthen the structure," Schaffran said. Dortmund offers a clear pathway, and that transparency is a key selling point for young prospects. Inacio arrived from Atalanta, while Reggiani came from Sassuolo.
Schaffran highlighted a practical reason for signing a teenage centre‑back: "In Italy the average age of centre‑backs is well over 30, so an 18‑year‑old would rarely get the minutes he needs to develop at that level." Dortmund's reputation as a finishing school is not new – Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham both used the Ruhr club as a springboard to superstardom. However, recent pressure to deliver results forced the senior side to adjust its recruitment policy, and the club has increasingly turned to its own academy to fill the gap. This strategic pivot places even greater responsibility on Schaffran and his staff to refine the next generation of players. "We completely rewrote our vision and the way we develop talent," Schaffran explained.
"Previously we were obsessed with winning at every youth level. But a victory at under‑17 level means nothing if the player does not become a Bundesliga professional." The new doctrine flips that mindset on its head: give youngsters the toughest possible challenges early, so that the transition to senior football feels smoother.
"It is a massive change in our thinking," he said. According to Schaffran, Dortmund now fields the youngest under‑17 squad in Germany, the youngest under‑19 group as well, and even the youngest side in the Premier League International Cup. They do not expect to win those tournaments – the aim is deliberate over‑challenge.
"If you keep players in a comfort zone they will never learn to adapt," Schaffran warned. "The game is getting faster, more physical and more complex. Players must learn to adjust quickly." When a player is forced to adapt, performance may dip temporarily, but the developmental payoff is far greater.
"During an adaptation phase you will not be as efficient, but the long‑term growth is exponential," Schaffran noted. A cornerstone of this overhaul is bio‑banding – the practice of grouping players by skeletal age rather than chronological age. Dortmund now uses ultrasound scans to determine each player's true biological maturity.
Six years ago the academy’s composition was heavily skewed: 35% early developers, 60% average, and only 5% late developers. That distribution reflected a bias toward early‑maturing bodies rather than pure talent.
"The biggest lesson from bio‑banding was for our coaches and scouts," Schaffran said. "They now evaluate players with a completely different lens than they did two or three years ago." Coaches have been trained to look beyond the dominant 14‑year‑old who currently out‑muscles his peers.
A slower, late‑maturing player who might be bullied now could blossom later if given the right environment. Schaffran cited an unnamed academy member who would have been dismissed under the old system because he was slower than his teammates.
With the new approach, that player is allowed to develop at his own pace, and there is genuine hope he could reach the highest level. Rather than imposing quotas, Dortmund focused on education. The result this season is a balanced spread: roughly 15% early developers, 70% average, and 15% late developers. This equilibrium reflects a commitment to individual growth rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all model.
The philosophy also means that when a youngster excels, he is promptly promoted to a higher age group. Both Inacio and Albert impressed for the under‑19s and therefore earned moves to more demanding squads. Albert, in particular, has shown remarkable adaptability: he featured in Dortmund’s Club World Cup squad, represented the United States at the Under‑17 World Cup, and has already played for the under‑19s and under‑23s in domestic and international fixtures.
"He thrives in varied environments and keeps stepping up," Schaffran praised. Admittedly, this rapid promotion can be painful for the youth teams, which lose their best performers. "If we only cared about winning at youth level, we would keep them," Schaffran admitted. "But our yardstick is development, not trophies." The alignment between the academy and the first team has been reinforced by the appointment of former academy chief Rudi Ricken to a senior decision‑making role.
Schaffran now regularly attends first‑team squad planning meetings, ensuring that youth prospects remain on the radar. Ricken himself was instrumental in bringing many of the current youngsters to Dortmund, smoothing the pathway from academy to senior side.
Schaffran recalled the moment he saw Reggiani’s celebration after the Augsburg goal: "Luca returned to the academy and celebrated with the under‑12 to under‑15 groups. It was a proud moment for everyone involved." The club’s talent conveyor belt is humming again, driven by a clear, ambitious blueprint that blends early challenges, scientific assessment, and a relentless focus on long‑term player growth.