Mads Davidsen: How to create sustainable success at a football club

Mads Davidsen: How to create sustainable success at a football club

Mads Davidsen is an experienced football consultant and title-winning Technical Director.

He is working with clubs to maximize their 20% - the proportion of an organization’s potential not pre-determined by economics or luck.

The football industry is famously fickle and short-term, with owners often throwing around desperate money in order to gain success.

Mads Davidsen

Mads Davidsen

Davidsen argues this must change. Clubs need to have a long-term philosophy and culture which builds towards success and serves its supporters - but, at the same time, must not risk financial fragility.

He implemented this strategy when he was Technical Director alongside coach Andre Villas-Boas at Shanghai SIPG. They revolutionized the playing side of the club and famously went six transfer windows without signing a player.

Straight after that last of those Shanghai SIPG won the Chinese League.

TOPICS

Why 70% of football results are decided by economics, 10% luck, but what about the 20%?

The academic approach

The boardroom issues and how to overcome them

KPIs every club should have

The internal battle that can exist between the TD and Head Coach

Why Manchester United and Arsenal “lost their identity” after major figures left

Cutting through the insular business of football

Analysing over a long period and not game to game

Mads’ experience in China and how he forged a successful team

Enacting his strategy as Technical Director to Andre Villas-Boas

Going six transfer windows without signing a player… and then winning the league

“Coaches come in thinking they have more power than they have”

Underestimating fans and misunderstanding their motives

Every club wants a great academy supplying players to the first team but why don’t the follow through

The Declan Rice story and loaning players out

Mad’s seven-point sustainability model

  1. Club Vision & Strategy - Dividing into four categories in terms and understanding your ambition

  2. Philosophy (style of play)

  3. Methodology

  4. Recruitment Strategy

  5. Academy Master Plan / Youth Development - “The first place we recruit is our academy”

  6. Head Coach - It is a disruption for the clubs and the coaches

  7. Transfers

How long does it take to deliver this strategy?

Which teams are making this strategy work for them Fitting the football club to the culture of the area

”The biggest clubs can get away with bad planning”

Is the insular world of football opening up a little

The problem with the US How long does it take?

Who is doing this well - Liverpool, Man City, Brentford, Auxerre.

Why Real Madrid are not a good example

Why doors are opening in football for Mads

Is winning the be-all-and-end-all for a club

Why he does not get called when clubs are winning

LINKS

Mads Davidsen Twitter | LinkedIN | Website

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