- Club directors and football legends discussed the latest trends impacting development of men’s and youth football.
The second edition of ECA Club Connect was the biggest and most impactful yet, bringing together close to 500 club directors and operational leaders from ECA member clubs and football stakeholders in Madrid. The event once again demonstrated ECA’s commitment to delivering impactful events to share knowledge and exchange ideas for the benefit of the game. ECA Club Connect has fast become an essential platform for collaboration, learning and knowledge-sharing across European club football.
The conference, anchored by renowned presenter Hayley McQueen, featured an array of world class speakers including legendary manager Arsène Wenger, who led a compelling discussion on the future of global football development.
The focus of this Club Connect was men’s football and youth football, reflecting ECA’s ongoing efforts to ensure clubs at all levels have access to insights and best practices to support them in navigating the opportunities and challenges of the game. Attendees explored topics ranging from squad building, talent development and player integration into first-team football to high-performance management in elite environments.
The event opened with a session featuring ECA Board Members Aki Riihilahti (ECA Men’s Football Workstream Lead and CEO of HJK Helsinki) and Dennis te Kloese (ECA Youth Football Workstream Lead and CEO of Feyenoord), setting the stage for insightful discussions throughout the day.
Arsène Wenger provided insights into his role as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, discussing the latest trends in youth football, the evolution of European football tactics, and the growing role of data-led player recruitment. Wenger offered key advice on building top academies, improving the club-national team dynamic, and the impact of the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup and the role it will play in strengthening global club football.
The morning breakout sessions featured case studies on strategic squad building and recruitment, with Dévy Rigaux (Club Brugge) and David Weir (Brighton & Hove Albion) offering their experiences in player acquisition and squad development.
An engaging session on holistic approaches to talent development was led by Ignacio Villarroel (River Plate), Pedro Torrado (SL Benfica) and Corné Groenendijk (Ajax), with each speaker offering unique perspectives on developing world-class players.
In the afternoon, the focus shifted to club success stories with insights from Olivier Létang (LOSC Lille) and Helena Costa (Estoril Praia) followed by a high-profile panel discussion on first-team player transitions featuring experts from AS Monaco, Liverpool FC and Club Atlético de Madrid Femenino.
The day concluded with a thought-provoking discussion on managing high-performance environments, featuring Edin Terzić (Borussia Dortmund), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus) and Dr Simon Timson (City Football Group), each offering the hundreds of club representatives in attendance invaluable insights into leadership, performance and the importance of squad management.
Reflecting on the event, ECA CEO Charlie Marshall said; “Club Connect 2025 was an excellent football summit which brought together hundreds of technical leaders from ECA member clubs, European and global football stakeholders. The diversity of speakers and the perspectives they shared delivered deep insight, experience and best practice from across the European club game. Events like Club Connect provide tremendous benefits to our nearly 750 member clubs and highlight the responsibilty ECA carries as the key club platform for leading the conversation on football matters impacting the ongoing development of the sport.”
Club Connect 2025 reaffirms ECA’s role as the voice of European clubs, working tirelessly to support its members in navigating the evolving football landscape. The conversations and insights shared in Madrid will undoubtedly contribute to strengthening the future of the game at all levels.