Pre-Season – The Initial Project
Every year, during late May and throughout June, football clubs renew their drive for the upcoming season, setting their objectives, which are often unrealistic. Most teams aim to either gain promotion or win the league, which leads to financial constraints and a disconnect from the reality they are in, driven by ambitions that may compromise their immediate future. Sports projects should be designed for the medium/long term (3/4 years), so that all foundations are properly built, and the club can progress sustainably and with a growth mindset. It is essential to analyze the club’s context, the division it competes in, the main rivals for achieving its goals, the youth teams, the scouting department, previous seasons of the champions or teams that secured promotion, as well as the playing philosophy the club wants to implement. For long-term success, there must be no significant gaps or inconsistencies between the various departments, with growth needing to be steady across all areas. In football, clubs should be managed like a business, where the objective must be clear and realistic, and where some key reflections need to be made by the club’s board, such as: • What does the club want for the future? • Is there a project in place, or a plan to create one? • What ideas and style of play do we want? • How to hire a coach? • What process should be followed to choose this coach? • Technical staff: from the club or brought in by the coach? • How to recruit players? Then, in the future, based on the results, conclusions should be drawn, and responsibilities assigned. Not everything is always perfect, and growth comes from evaluating the mistakes made. The club must value its assets to ensure that its financial position can support and project its ambition in achieving the goals set. Clubs should choose the most competent professional to lead the project, and this professional must be given the time to implement their ideas. Fans are also an important part of the life of a club, and as such, communication must ensure they are always engaged, understanding the (new) philosophy and (new) direction of the club, so that its future is secured, making tomorrow more challenging and ensuring that the goals set today can be achieved. Thus, the key aspects for the success of a sports project in a football club are: context analysis, selection of professionals, communication, and patience.
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