New education project in Romania

In this context, the FRF executive committee recently approved another important educational project, which forms part of the FRF technical strategy aimed at optimising young players’ potential.

With the aim of ensuring the best possible education for academy managers, the FRF will select the best 20 to take part in an intensive education programme. Experienced international experts will lead the whole programme, for which 75% of the related costs will be covered by the FRF.

The programme, the FRF plans to repeat in 2023, will be structured in five modules covering topics such as the management and strategic role of an academy; the management of staff and relationships between the different departments; the development of a specific club philosophy in close connection with tendencies at European level; talent spotting and player selection; individual development; and transition towards the first team.

Belgian company Double Pass is the FRF’s partner in this project, taking into account its experience of more than 20 years in advising and working with over 1,000 clubs, national associations and professional leagues, as well as having been FIFA’s partner in its talent development programme since 2020. In recent years, academies have acquired, as they should, an increasingly important role in Romanian football. The FRF continues to be involved in this area and the executive committee has decided that each top-league club will have to fulfil some crucial criteria in order to receive a licence. Starting with the 2022/23 season, each top-division club will have to invest a minimum of 5% of its income in its academy structure. In 2023/24, this minimum will increase to 6.5%, going up to 7.5% in 2024/25.

Criteria related to financial transparency will also come into force in 2022/23, requiring all clubs applying for a top-division licence to publish the results of the expenses audit conducted at the level of their academies.

This article appeared in UEFA Direct 197