"Club Development Model" works like a watch

Many times I have referred to the "Club Development Model of FDI" that I have defined, quoted my definition of the model as well as presented and implemented the concept, which is filled with comprehensive content, in detail at a number of events and in my day-to-day work with professional football Clubs across Europe. However, the cardinal question arises: how can Club representatives visualise the complex construct of a model in order to better understand it?

"Club Development Model of FDI" is one of the key substantive foundations of the Football Development Institute, forming the basis of our educational programmes, determining our support within the transformation and development of European Clubs, as well as having a decisive influence on our activities in the research area.

I have been working on the "Club Development Model of FDI" conceptually and content-related for many years and explained the model to a broad audience for the first time at our Football Club Management Conference in June 2023. At present, it is a finished concept including contents that has the potential to bring about fundamental positive changes, through to a holistic transformation of the Clubs cooperating with FDI or with me personally. The implementation of the "CDM of FDI" enables conceptual, planned, consistent, predictable, long-term, controlled and sustainable development. Of course, I am pleased with every joint project with European Clubs based on the FDI model, as well as every single request in this direction. However, I have a broader way of thinking. In order to improve the quality of football Clubs across Europe, we need a change in the perception of Club management. Club executives should finally start thinking in terms of model categories. They would be well advised to give their Club a complex, detailed, in-depth and coherent concept. With fundamental core values, detailed structured ideas, consciously designed content, unified strategy in all areas, a well thought-out structure, standardised processes and a number of synergies.

Every professional Club has the human resources to develop its own model for Club development, with its own contents. However, in order to activate the Club's own initiative, two conditions must first be fulfilled by the management: understanding of the concept of a development model and understanding of the objectives of the concept.

?? Understanding the concept of the "Club Development Model"

The fulfilment of the first condition begins with knowledge of the definition.

?? "Club Development Model" | definition

A complex and coherent development concept of a professional football Club, posessing a precise vision, based on an elaborate structure, with substantive content on the grounds of the defined development areas of the Club, and operating on the basis of multidimensional, strategic and synergistic management mechanisms.

Many Club representatives ask me after learning the definition: how can I visualise the model in practice? Can I draw a suitable comparison to better understand the structure of the concept?

Although it is a complicated structure, it is a clear construction and has a clear logic, which is why the model becomes understandable on closer inspection. However, I am aware that the wording of the definition may sound initially abstract to some people. This is precisely why I came up with a striking comparison. I explicitly prepared this parallel before my presentation at the Football Club Management Conference to give the Participants something to think about. And I've enjoyed using it ever since. It brings light into the darkness. I also share this comparison now.

?? How to imagine the "Club Development Model"?

?? Complex & coherent concept | A construction that is planned in detail and contains many interlocking mechanisms.

? A watch.

?? Vision | This term describes the conceptual framework and basic principles of the model: defining the foundations, approach, draft of the future design, development path, type of management, conceptual guidelines for the model, basic operational organisation.

Examples: The pyramid of Club development | The cycle of Club development | type of centricity | The substantive foundations of the Club

? Should the watch be analogue or digital? What kind of case do we want? What colour? Do we need a chain? Will we wear the watch or admire it on the table?

?? Structure | It involves many structural aspects (basic framework) that are conceptually logically interlinked and are responsible for the execution of all operations in the Club. They are designed and implemented internally and only presented externally in a controlled manner. These thematic complexes represent development areas, content-related areas and precise structure for definitions, concepts and models. In addition, general methodology, general processes, general mechanisms, scheme of development criteria and planning, type of documentation and control mechanisms are taken into account here.

Examples: structuring the development areas & content-related areas of a Club | identification the needs for various definitions (including Club development, team development, tactics, communication, finance) | structuring all concepts & models (including Club profile, strategy concept, Club Organisation Model, Club Management Model, Complex football concept, Game Model, Model for Unification of the Complex Football Concept)

? All the parts resemble precisely manufactured and interlocking gears. They are hidden inside the clock (they should be presented and explained to external parties), form a complex substructure for the entire construction and drive the mechanism.

?? Contents | All structured aspects (see: "Structure") are given a substantial, content-related characteristic. In contrast to the "Structure", a number of "Contents" are also carried into the outside world, so that an external face is created for structured elements.

Examples: structuring the development areas & content-related areas --> specific content | how do we structure definitions and which definitions are necessary? --> the wording of the respective definitions | structure of the Club profile --> concrete profile of the Club | structure of the strategic concept --> e.g. strategic goals, realisation methods | structure of the Club Organisation Model --> e.g. organigram, precise position profiles and detailed processes | structure of the Club Management Model --> e.g. interlocking of strategy, organisational structure and processes, guidelines for strategic-synergistic management, project management | structure of the Complex football concept --> e.g. unified football knowledge, football DNA, concrete football definitions, football models | structure of the Game Model --> what does our game concept look like in detail? | structure of the Model for Unification of the Complex Football Concept --> concrete contents and measures with regard to conceptual interlocking of the entire sporting area (first team + Academy)

? This includes selecting the preferred dial and the desired watch hands. In this case, shape, colour and quality all play a role. Although the outer elements are driven by the gears hidden inside, even the best substructure cannot compensate for missing parts, their low quality or inappropriate use.

?? Understanding the objectives of the "Club Development Model"

The definition of the "Club Development Model" and a visual representation of the concept (watch) provide an explanation of the facts, point to the complexity of the project and suggest advantages. The advantages become even clearer when you look at the objectives I have defined for the "Club Development Model":

?? conceptual design of the Club

?? laying the substantive foundations of the Club

?? transformation of the Club | "Club of the new format"

?? the actual professionalisation of the Club

?? substantive unification

?? emphasis on the priority of the sporting area

?? centralised ("Club-centricity"), unified, high-quality, strategic-synergistic management of the Club

?? consistent operations

?? calculable effects

?? building the independence of the Club

?? implementation of a long-term vision

?? controlled development of the Club

At the moment, "conceptual football Clubs" make up a maximum of 10% of the entire European football landscape. The remaining Clubs are either "Consumer Clubs" or "Thousand Island Clubs", which not only diminishes their level, but also affects the entire football.

If you would like to learn more about my concepts for the development of professional Clubs, you are welcome to have a look at my presentations from Football Club Management Conference:

?? "Club Development Model of FDI"

?? The substantive foundations of the "Club Development Model of FDI"

?? Complex football concept in the "Club Development Model of FDI"

?? Rolle of the Sports Director in the "Club Development Model of FDI"

HERE you will find our online platform with my presentations, but also with presentations from other Experts as part of the coherent conference narrative.

I would also be delighted if you would take part in our research project on the current state of education in football. So far, people from 10 countries have taken part in the project entitled "The state of the specialised education in the world of football". You can find the survey HERE.

Marcin Gabor