How Eyeball aids SL Benfica in their player recruitment

Ruben Dias, Joao Felix, Renato Sanchez, Bernardo Silva. These are players, just to name a few, that are engraved in the legacy and heritage of Benfica. Indeed, the club have become notorious for their player development which in large parts comes down to successful recruitment on all levels.

A big part of their success has always been their forward thinking working methods and bringing tools in that can give in an edge in this area. Eyeball has become a key part in their player identification process. In the words of Roberto Morais, International Scouting Coordinator: "“Eyeball is a tool that fills the void in youth football, it brings access to exclusive information that is extremely useful".

Eyeball visited Benfica and interviewed Roberto Morais, International Scouting Coordinator, to learn more about the roots of the club's success and how their academy has become the driver of this success:

1. Can you explain to us how the youth academy sits structurally within the football club?

R: It is pivotal, playing a fundamental role in the philosophy of the club. Every year there are several players that are promoted to the first team; therefore, their development is key.

2. Would you say there is a certain playing style or ‘philosophy’ that underpins the academies coaching methods?

R: Yes, we have an offensive, possession based, high pressing philosophy. Our players must be comfortable on the ball and should always have an eye on the goal.

3. How have the coaching methods evolved over the last ten years?

R: They have become more detailed, as there are many more qualified coaches currently. Also, the investment in the support structure has been substantial. Before a coach had to focus on more tasks, currently they have several assistant coaches, physical coaches, analysts, psychologists, nutritionists etc.?

4. In terms of the Academy as a whole, how do you define and measure success?

R: It's simple, by the number and the consistency of players that reach the first team of SL Benfica and go on to have successful careers.

5. Can you tell us a little about the scouting and recruitment process for the academy?

R: It is very much focused on the Portuguese market from an early age, as we have a lot of talented players. At a later stage we complement it with an outlook in the international market

6. What is it that you want to see in a 16-year-old academy player?

R: Talent, quality and longevity.

7. Tony Whelan, the well-known Manchester United youth Coach is known for saying that spotting the exceptional ‘generational’ talents is easy, but…. and I quote…… “For me the art and skill is finding those players who are actually under the radar, and not right in front of your eyes. The majority of footballers are those players. The ones who come a little later, they’re not quite a superstar, a little bit like the ugly duckling, nobody fancies them, then suddenly, the swan comes out”. Have you any experience of players surprising you with the way they develop?

R: There will always be surprises, the “grey area” is large and very context based. It is imperative to have as much information as possible in order to make the best decisions, still knowing that you will not get them all right.

8. If we put the exceptional stand-out talents to one side, are there any reliable ‘signals’ that you have identified as reliable indicators of a future top pro?

R: Obviously to get to the top level you need quality can be technical, tactical as well as physical, however the mental condition is very important. There are many players who are stand out technical players, but they do not take the “next step” due to their mentality.?

9. There is a lot of interesting new technologies focused on data analysis. Do you think this type of ‘Performance data’ is appropriate in elite youth football, will it become more important in the future?

R: In the future, yes but at the moment, due to the lack of raw data not as much.?

10. One of the outcomes of the European Union’s free movement policy, is that people are more mobile in their search for work. How international is Benfica’s academy, and do think the ability to scout across the continent has a positive effect on the academy or is it more of a priority for the club to develop local talent?

R: The international market for us is important, however it is to compliment the foundation of our homegrown Portuguese talent.?

11. I won’t ask you to name names, but how many of your current under 18 squad will we see playing for the first team in the next few years?

R: It is not easy to say the number as there are many variables, what I can tell you is that in this year’s squad we have 9 players from our academy.

Eyeball are changing how elite clubs within Europe’s top leagues approach the way that they scout for the next generation of talent. Created with the aid of scouting knowledge, Eyeball is a first of its kind platform that provides access to elite youth football clubs and its players to leading professional football clubs.??

In partnership with clubs such as SL Benfica, AC Milan, Glasgow Rangers and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Real Sociedad, plus many others including several of Europe’s top 5 leagues’ current and former champions, the Eyeball platform offers these professional clubs access to over 50,000 players, in 8 age levels, across 10 countries playing over 300 games a week. The unique platform is revolutionising the way that youth players are recruited to some of the leading academies in Europe, with scouting departments able to view, research and analyse more youth players than ever before.??

Visit www.eyeball.club for more information or contact us [email protected]