Dubai: The Dubai Sports Council (DSC) recently organized a workshop focusing on scouting and talent development for young athletes. The event brought together executive directors from Dubai clubs and football companies, as well as managers and technical directors of academies.
Mr. Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General of the DSC, along with Mr. Naser Aman Al-Rahma, Assistant Secretary-General of DSC, extended a warm welcome to Mr. Sergei Barjuan, Sports Manager of Barcelona Academies around the World and former star player of Barcelona Club and the Spanish National Team. They were also joined by representatives from Barcelona Academies in Dubai.
Mr. Hareb expressed DSC’s commitment to examining the successful experiences of renowned sports clubs and academies worldwide. Secretary-General emphasized the importance of providing opportunities for staff members from Dubai sports clubs and academies to learn from these experiences. This initiative aims to contribute to the development of a successful model aligned with the ambitious goals of Dubai’s football clubs and academies.
Mr. Sergei Barjuan shared insights into the accomplishments of Barcelona Academy, focusing on their effective methods of scouting and nurturing talented players from a young age until they are ready to join the first team. Drawing from his own experiences as a former player and part of Barcelona Club’s technical staff, Barjuan also discussed his role as a manager overseeing all branches of Barcelona Academies worldwide.
During the workshop, Mr. Barjuan addressed inquiries from participants and offered valuable advice pertaining to this crucial field, which aids in optimizing the utilization of human resources within clubs and football companies. As a token of appreciation, Mr. Barjuan presented Mr. Hareb with Barcelona Football Academy’s book, titled “La Masia,” as a gesture of gratitude.
The meeting focused on discussing future collaboration areas between DSC and Barcelona Club. The aim was to establish productive programs and initiatives for scouting and nurturing talented players and coaches while leveraging Barcelona Academy’s technical framework.
DSC is committed to organizing regular forums and workshops throughout the year with the goal of implementing optimal practices in academy management, talent scouting, and talent development. These initiatives also aim to promote global academies based in Dubai and explore opportunities for collaboration with academies associated with Dubai clubs.
Mr. Barjuan has taken on the role of Sports Manager for Barcelona Academies worldwide. In this capacity, he oversees the dissemination of coaching methods to trainers across all Barcelona Academies globally. Mr. Barjuan has a distinguished history with the club, having delivered outstanding performances as a player and later as a coach for Barcelona’s reserve team. Additionally, he stepped in as the coach for the first team in three matches following Dutch coach Koeman’s tenure.