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You will often hear footballing academies referred to as ‘production lines’ or ‘talent factories. It is an easy comparison to make given what’s involved and the attempt to manufacture the processes of talent identification and development. Clearly, all of the moving parts, each sequential process is designed to yield different end products. And each is conditional upon the requirements and components that are assembled and refined throughout each stage of a player’s progression.
The variables are altered from club to club, yet the overall ambition remains the same. The aim is to manufacture and nurture talented youngsters. To produce future first team regulars with the ambition of adding quality to the squad or as collateral, assets to generate a huge profit on the hours and education invested.
Opened by Eusébio in 2006, the Caixa Futebol Campus is the flagship that symbolises Benfica’s emergence as the dominant force in Portuguese youth football. It is an emergence that has seen SL Benfica leapfrog both FC Porto and rivals Sporting CP at academy level. Benfica’s academy complex is situated idyllically in eastern Seixal, south of Lisbon and is sponsored by Portuguese banking company Caixa Geral de Depósitos, hence the name.
In 2017 the club made the decision to invest a further 11 million euros into the expansion of the now renowned facility with improvements to the medical department, gym and cafeteria. Yet, the principles surrounding the project remain the same then as now: to create rounded, talented, professionally ready players.
A major part of the club’s investment saw a 50% increase in the size of the hotel situated at the training centre. The hotel was built in order to provide youth players with accommodation during training periods and a relaxing environment that would free them from the hassles with travelling to train and play and its attendant burdens on parents’ time and resources.
As the capacity of the hotel has increased, naturally the number of players has done so too. As well as an increased capacity, this also positively extends the geographic reach of the club with prospects from further afield now able to enjoy the opportunities and resources available at Benfica’s facility.
‘Develop to win’ is the mentality instilled in all who attend the campus, with both staff and players continuing the running theme throughout the development process. Marginal gains are seized upon and engineered into the very framework of in-house processes that sets this SL Benfica academy apart, not just in Portugal but across Europe and the rest of the world.
Central to Benfica’s culture, young players are given professional experience with the awareness of the importance of winning, as a vital education, integral to the process. This runs parallel to the opportunities to train at the highest intensity, that in turn accelerates development and physical growth.
When they manifest themselves, the small margins that are highlighted by the club can be exploited in order to elevate Benfica’s production line of talent above those of other comparable academies. And in turn the upshot of this care and attention to detail is felt in the bottom line. Small improvements generate greater revenue returns for the club on the field and in the transfer market. With the new centre, Benfica have also added another revenue stream to their business model. Most clubs rely on commercial, ticketing and media revenue in order to positively impact the financial resources of the club. Benfica are one of the best at using player trading as a revenue stream that is expressed with reference to the mission statement: scout, settle, success, sell. Simply put, Benfica boasts an extensive scouting network, tasked with unearthing a specific profile or talent that consistently garners impressive transfer fees.
The club is proactive in covering far flung areas of the globe and Benfica make it their business to find the best players at the earliest opportunity. As a strategy, the club will buy young and cheap with the aim of moulding the players into first team regulars. This is how the club competes with the biggest European clubs, efficiently and resourcefully. While others have deep pockets, Benfica can proudly offer opportunity to its youngsters as a pathway to an elite career.
In terms of Talent ID, Benfica pride themselves in accurately plotting the future ability and career progression of a player. And they are committed to a process of early intervention: that means applying their experience early enough to have a positive impact on it for both the player and the club in a sector of football that is notorious for its high rates of attrition for young players. Ederson Moraes (Manchester City), Victor Lindelöf (Manchester United) Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich), Nélson Semedo (Barcelona), Bernardo Silva (AS Monaco), Gonçalo Guedes (PSG), André Gomes (Valência), João Cancelo (Valência) have all departed the Lisbon club for major European giants and accrued vast transfer fees over recent years.
The scary part of this sustained success story is that this list contains just a select few of the many academy products of Benfica that have gone on to make their way in the game both at home and abroad. Is that scary, or is that simply ludicrously impressive?
Details, they say, it’s all about the details, the small adjustments that can make a difference. The small margins highlighted earlier are found through constant monitoring of both the physical and mental attributes of the prospects that are lucky enough to be based at the Caixa Futebol Campus.
Onfield tracking is very prominent in our game of course and it is commonplace that all sorts of figures and stats are available both for club staff and for the media outlets that track and trace live football. Benfica yet again are moving things on, in pursuit of those marginal gains.
Nutrition records are logged and sleep patterns recorded to ensure that the players are at optimum condition going into training and matches with recovery and individual muscle data integral to each player’s schedule looking ahead. Scans are completed at the end of matches to examine the deterioration of muscles with heart rate monitors and GPS sensors worn to highlight the physical output of every player. All of these outputs correspond to tailor-made training plans and diet schedules for each boy with mental assessments a non-negotiable necessity regularly updated and checked by trained professionals. No stone is left unturned.
In 2014 Benfica unveiled an ultra-modern 360S simulator, likened to the Footbonaut at Borussia Dortmund. The innovative simulator is geared towards improving reaction times and vision as well as collecting further data on the individual participants. All the while such tech is blurring the lines between video games and reality. And it is just another example of the club’s acceptance of modern ideas at the cutting edge of sport science.
There are other advantages for Benfica, not all of their own making but benefits that are nonetheless exploited by the club. There are arguably more fans of Benfica in the former colonies of Angola and Mozambique, than on the Portuguese mainland which brings extra revenue and brand awareness but also cultural benefits accruing from a shared history and language. Benfica are renowned for nurturing home grown Portuguese talent but also have a good reputation when it comes to developing South American talent and player from their former colonies – such as Angola and of course Brazil, where Portuguese is the mother tongue of The Beautiful Game. Moving to a new country at a young age is full of challenges and isolation, especially in the early stages. But with a common language and culture and favourable climate and immigration conditions, Portugal is a home from home for Brazilian players – of any age. At Benfica, David Luiz and Ederson are just two clear and obvious examples of Brazilians starting the transition from South America to Europe in Lisbon. Interestingly, the sale of Ederson made Benfica the first club to make 700m euros in player sales. It is important to note at this point that a large proportion, if not the majority, of the income received from player sales is re-invested into the academy and it is a virtuous cycle that has changed the face of Portuguese football in recent years.
Nurturing talent is a main focus for the club as highlighted, and Benfica’s academy campus is one of the great platforms – anywhere in European football – for developing talent. Given that the opportunity to gain experience and game time in a top European league is difficult to come by for all but EU passport holders, ensures that Benfica really is an outstanding option for youngsters from all over the world. Cultural, climate, immigration and opportunity advantages when combined with arguably the leading youth facilities in Portugal make the Lisbon club a standout option for any potential suitor.
Benfica’s oldest youth teams compete in the Second Tier of Portuguese football, ensuring that their academy players get an early insight into the gruelling rigours of men’s football and the attendant pressures of playing winning football – at all times.
The thriving campus was designed by architects Pedro George and Isabel Pessoa with the direction of combining the comforts of home with the functionality and flexibility of a working environment.
Awarded first prize for best academy in the world in the Dubai Global Awards in 2015, Benfica’s youth facility boasts nine pitches and multiple gyms. There is a link established with a local school, ensuring that education once again runs hand in hand with football as the club strives for well-rounded and educated individuals who are smart, coachable and resilient enough to cope with the demanding environment of professional football. The players are protected with everything geared to success and no distractions but they are also exposed to the realities of their chosen career at every opportunity.
Because the first team is always the measure of a club, it is easy to focus on short term factors such as form, results or the day to day. At Benfica though, it’s different. This is a club whose heart belongs in the academy, the direction of the club is there, fixed and they are proud of what has been built and its vaunted place within the context of world football and its biggest clubs.
The Caixa Futebol Campus is extraordinarily innovative and advanced, but there are no secrets, there is no hidden formula that is unavailable to other clubs. If there is one key difference it is this: Benfica have a commitment above any other club to their academy and they are willing to fund it to that end.
We can expect to see further investment in the years to come and there is no end in sight to the extraordinary production line in Lisbon. This is a club setting the standard and eventually other clubs will follow in their footsteps. But for now, the Caixa Futebol Campus is the example for others to follow.
Thanks to Pasha Hajian and the rest of the GolBezan team for travelling to Benfica on our behalf. Audio versions of the interviews will be available on their website, SoundCloud and Twitter.