Mads Davidsen: How to create sustainable success at a football club
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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
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
Club Vision & Strategy - Dividing into four categories in terms and understanding your ambition
Philosophy (style of play)
Methodology
Recruitment Strategy
Academy Master Plan / Youth Development - “The first place we recruit is our academy”
Head Coach - It is a disruption for the clubs and the coaches
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