How has applying a national player development programme influenced the local talent development models within two top Norwegian football clubs’ academy practices?

Abstract

AbstractThe persistent underperformance of Norway’s men’s national team has led to criticism and changes in the nation’s talent programmes, including the 2017 introduction of the Academy Classification Model (ACM), which targets the programmes of academies in two top tiers in Norwegian football. The introduction of the ACM marked a significant shift in Norwegian player development. Therefore, this study aimed to explore how two top clubs in Norway applied the ACM and how the model influenced their local talent development models within their academy practices. Using a comparative case study design, we sought to understand how clubs with different goals and prerequisites applied the ACM. The findings demonstrated the clubs’ distinct academy model designs, aligning their changes with their academy goals, local prerequisites and the ACM’s objectives. Both clubs emphasised organisational and structural changes and an intensified focus on individualised player development during the initial classification process, which aligned with the most valued objectives in terms of economic incentives within the ACM’s classification system. A notable distinction between the clubs was that the highest-ranked academy detailed pedagogical plans and effective strategies for application into practice, along with high-quality skill practice of all academy players, compared to the lower-ranked academy.

Keywords

• Talent development
• football
• models
• programmes
• Mike Rayner, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
• Sports Development