Player recruitment is one of the most fascinating and crucial aspects of football club management. It’s where the future success or failure of a team can often be traced back to a single decision, be it a strategic acquisition or a miscalculated gamble.
In this article, we’ll explore the layered and collaborative process that drives recruitment in football, shedding light on how clubs make informed decisions to sign players.
1. Data Collection
Scouting as the First Step
At the heart of every player recruitment process lies the Scouting Department. Scouts are responsible for gathering information on potential targets from markets identified by the club.
This data is analyzed to meet the selection criteria set by the club. Scouts watch matches, assess player performances, and compile reports that are then handed over to decision-makers.
The goal here is to ensure that all information gathered is accurate, comprehensive, and relevant.
This initial stage of scouting provides the foundation for the recruitment process, setting the groundwork for later discussions between coaches, directors, and executives.
2. Head Coach and Football Strategy Leader
Building the Right Squad
Once scouting data has been collected, the Head Coach and Football Strategy Leader (often the Director of Football) take over.
The coach identifies areas within the squad that need strengthening, as well as individual players who may require additional development to maximize their performance.
However, recruitment is not just about addressing immediate gaps. The Football Strategy Leader collaborates with the coach to develop long-term plans, ensuring that the club is prepared for future seasons.
Together, they evaluate the scouting reports and assess whether potential recruits align with the team’s style of play and tactical requirements.
3. Synergy with Executive Leadership
Ensuring Cohesion
The Club Strategy Leader—which typically includes the CEO, board members, or chairman—provides executive input to ensure that all proposed transfers align with the club’s overall strategy and financial health.
They verify that each transfer has a clear economic rationale and that the budgetary constraints are met.
Crucially, the executive team also works to avoid the risk of creating what Victor Orta, a football executive, describes as a “Frankenstein Squad.”
This is a team made up of mismatched players, often brought in due to disjointed decisions by various departments within the club.
By ensuring that all stakeholders are on the same page, the recruitment process avoids potential pitfalls of miscommunication and conflicting interests.
4. Avoiding the Frankenstein Squad
A Unified Recruitment Strategy
One of the biggest challenges in player recruitment is ensuring cohesion between departments. In some clubs, conflicting interests between the Head Coach, Director of Football, and executive team can result in poorly executed transfers.
For example, Orta discusses instances where a chairman might sign a player based on a personal connection to an agent, or where a coach pushes for a player they liked five years ago, without considering the current team’s needs.
To avoid these issues, successful clubs adopt a unified recruitment approach. In this system, all parties—whether it’s the Scouting Department, Head Coach, Football Strategy Leader, or Club Strategy Leader—work together to assess each potential signing holistically.
5. Success and Accountability
Who Owns the Outcome?
Player recruitment is a high-stakes game, and accountability is critical. When a player succeeds, the merit is shared among scouts, coaches, executives, and directors.
However, when a signing fails, the burden of responsibility often falls on the Director of Football. As Orta candidly states, “When the signing is horrible… you are the only guilty one.”
For those in football management, this weight of responsibility is part of the role. Successes are celebrated as collective achievements, but failures are often personal.
Conclusion
Recruiting the right players is far from a solo effort; it’s a collaborative and multifaceted process involving various departments within the club.
From the data collected by scouts to the tactical assessments made by coaches and the strategic oversight provided by executives, every step is vital to ensuring that new signings fit seamlessly into the team.
By maintaining synergy across all levels, football clubs can avoid common pitfalls and make informed, strategic decisions that contribute to long-term success.