Feyenoord Academy, often referred to as Varkenoord, is the youth academy of the professional football club Feyenoord located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The Feyenoord Academy received the official regional youth academy status from the KNVB and is located at Sportcomplex Varkenoord.
Feyenoord Academy has been voted as the best developmental system in the Netherlands, winning the Rinus Michels Award for best youth academy five years in a row since 2009. No other academy produced more players for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where eleven former Feyenoord Academy players were active.[1] In May 2010, Feyenoord Academy won the Rinus Michels Award for the first time. Ajax and Sparta Rotterdam were the other nominees. Feyenoord Academy won the award for its innovation within the academy, the overall success of its teams in the national youth leagues and the high amount of players in the national youth teams.[2]
Structure
Feyenoord Academy was officially founded in the summer of 2010, when the youth academies of Feyenoord and Excelsior merged. The newly formed academy was based on the structure of the former Feyenoord youth academy, with the addition of various Excelsior youth players and staff members. Feyenoord's poor financial situation, the rise in transfer fees and the increase in value of young players signaled a further need for Feyenoord and Excelsior to further support the academy. The cooperation between Feyenoord and Exelsior was terminated as of July 2015.[3] The goal of the Feyenoord Academy is to develop young players into professional football players for Feyenoord's first team squad.[4]
The Feyenoord Academy comprises age-group teams ranging from U8's up to the flagship U19's. The youngest players are scouted at amateur clubs in the direct surroundings of Rotterdam. For the age of twelve and older the academy extends its scouting area, mainly to the remaining part of the Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavia. Until the U12 team, the players only have training sessions during the evening and are largely guided by part-time coaches. When players are ready to join secondary education they start training during daytime. A close partnership with LOOT-school Thorbecke allows Feyenoord Academy to offer players a full-time training program, while the school adapts its time table to the players training program.[4]
Teams and players
Reserves
The Feyenoord Reserves play under the name Jong Feyenoord in the Beloften Eredivisie. The team plays its home matches at Varkenoord. As of the season 2010–11, the reserve team was officially disbanded, but kept participating in the Beloften Eredivisie without a permanent squad. The formation varies and consists of reserve players from Feyenoord's first team squad, with the possible addition of emerging academy players. The players train with their own teams, without having the chance to actually train together. On match days the team is coached by Patrick Lodewijks.[5]
Feyenoord U19
The final team of the Feyenoord Academy is Feyenoord/Excelsior U19, previously known as Feyenoord/Excelsior A1.[6]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Damiën Hertog
Gill Swerts (Notts County)
Robin van Persie (Fenerbahçe)